Richard Wayne Mcadoo

Richard McAdoo of Merritt, North Carolina, died Saturday, September 14, 2024, at CarolinaEast Medical Center, New Bern at the age of 82.

He was born in Mount Vernon, Illinois on April 15th, 1942, the son of Harley and Mable McAdoo. He was united in marriage to Carol Crooks, June 11, 1966, in Sikeston, Missouri.

He was a 1960 graduate of Ashton High School in Ashton, Illinois and a 1964 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University where he was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

He served in the Army at the Fort Knox Armor School and with the 41st Civil Affairs Company in Vietnam.

For more than 50 years he was an active participant in the study of the American Civil War. He enjoyed reenactments, serving with Camp Fuller in Rockford, Illinois and firing a full-scale artillery piece.

He was a lifetime member of the Chicago Civil War Round Table serving a term as president.

He retired in 1997 after 30 years with Allstate Insurance Company in the claims department. He enjoyed spending time at their second home at Hidden Valley in Burfordsville, Missouri.

He served as an active member of Station 25 – Florence Whortonville Volunteer Fire Department for more than 20 years. He taught in the Rufus E Brinson Firefighter Academy at Pamlico Community College enabling many fellow firefighters to attain their certification in North Carolina.

Richard is survived by his wife Carol; one daughter, Heather; son-in-law, Scott McCown; granddaughter, Kate; brother, Dennis; and sister-in-law, Georgia; many cousins and a host of friends.

Richard’s wish was to be cremated and his ashes to be scattered on a Civil War battlefield. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.