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Colonel Richard "Dick" Goebel, USAF, Retired, entered the arms of God on March 21, 2025 with family by his side. Dick was born in Florida on September 19, 1941 to Virginia and Dick Goebel and spent his growing up years in Georgia and South Carolina with his five siblings: Mary, Ronnie, Jean, Joan, and Celie. He attended the University of South Carolina and received a BS in Engineering and then a Masters from the University of Southern California.
As a young Second Lieutenant Dick entered the Air Force to begin his career. It was at this point that he met and wooed a Lemmon South Dakota gal, D. Evanson, with his smooth southern accent and charm which led to 57 years of marriage to the love of his life and three children, Scott (Laurey), Melissa (Danny) and Lindsay-Paige (Chris) and eight grandchildren.
Dick was a devoted dad and grandfather. Family life consisted of camping, snow skiing, music and sports. He found great joy in coaching and not just for the game, but for the opportunity to mentor young athletes.
Dick proudly served his country for 27 years, including two and a half years in Vietnam aboard a B-52. One of his most enjoyable assignments was being a Commander of First Group at the US Air Force Academy. He again was in a mentoring position to help these young men and women begin to reach their full potential as they entered the military to protect our country. His distinguished military career ended serving in many capacities at the Pentagon and NSA. He was the Director of Airborne Reconnaissance responsible for planning and advising the Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the National Security leadership on worldwide airborne reconnaissance collection operations. Dick's career was marked by dedication, integrity, and courage, earning him numerous awards and commendations. He was a former member of the Phoenix Society