The admirable Richard Hartford passed away peacefully in his home in Bear, Delaware at the age of 73, after a long-fought battle with cancer. Born in 1949 in Bridgton, Maine – Bridgton quickly became home to him. It’s where he met the love of his life Barbara Durfee. The two knew each other most of their lives. And in 1967, the year he graduated from Bridgton High School, he and Barbara’s love story began. The two starting dating and have been inseparable ever since. They were married in 1968, at his parent’s home in Bridgton.

Their love for each other grew, as their family grew. They raised two beautiful daughters, Deborah and Heidi. Richard was the kind of father that put his three girls first – always working hard to provide the best life possible for them.

He was so proud of his family – and was so proud to be in the military. His incredible career in the U.S. Air Force, began in 1968. His 20 years of service took him across the world. Serving in Holland, Germany, North Dakota, New York (Griffiss Air Force Base), Maine (Loring Air Force Base), Texas (Lackland Air Force Base), California (George Air Force Base), Massachusetts (Westover Reserve Base), and served in the Vietnam War in Korea and Thailand. Richard retired from the Air Force in 1988. After a magnificent career in the military, he started working at Northrup Grumman in California and Boeing Aircraft in Philadelphia.

He retired fully in 2015 – and the fun began. Richard and his sweet wife, started to travel. The two loved cruising, they sailed to Bermuda, the Bahamas, Hawaii and Alaska. They also ventured on a cross country road trip together – with many fun adventures along the way. Traveling wasn’t his only favorite retirement pastime – he also loved to brew his own beer, even creating his own brew station in his basement. He loved brewing new flavors and having his loved ones try it. He and his wife Barbara also loved to walk together, and even made it a competition between each other and their friends.

But his absolute favorite thing to do was to spend time with his family. He loved making jokes and laughing with his grandchildren. He was his grandchildren’s hero in so many ways. Richard’s most used words were “I love you,” he always told his family how he loved them.

Richard’s laugh and joy for life lives on in his family. His family knew him as a loving, dedicated, and a patient, husband, father and grandfather. He truly was and still is the heart of his family. He is survived by his wife Barbara Hartford of Bear, Delaware; daughter Deborah Hartford of Harrison, Maine; daughter Heidi Likens of Tooele, Utah; son-in-law Dan Likens of Tooele, Utah; grandson Joshua Howe and his wife Kristin of Augusta, Maine; granddaughter Ayanna Likens Searle and her husband Connor Searle of Tooele, Utah; granddaughter Brianna Hartford of Gray, Maine; granddaughter MaKaylee Likens of Tooele, Utah; great-granddaughters Lucy and Gracelynn Howe of Augusta, Maine; and his brother and sister.

He joins his mother in heaven, Olive Hartford and his father Rudy Hartford.

Services and a celebration of life will be held in Bridgton, Maine.