Richard Elbert Stephenson

Richard Elbert Stephenson, 92, of Hobucken, NC, passed away on April 21, 2026, at CarolinaEast Medical Center.

A proud U.S. Air Force veteran, Richard went on to dedicate 33-1/2 years of faithful service to Civil Service at Cherry Point before his well-earned retirement. He was a man who believed in hard work, lifelong, learning, and finding joy in the everyday moments.

Richard will be remembered for his wonderful sense of humor and his natural curiosity about the world. He had a love for working on vehicles and could often be found tinkering, fixing, or figuring out how something worked. He never stopped learning, taking many college courses over the years simply for the joy of gaining knowledge. Known by family and friends as the one to call when you had a question, Richard always had an answer – whether it was exactly right or not, it was always given with confidence and a smile.

He was preceded in death by his father, Stancil Stephenson; mother, Mildred Dawson Nichols; son, Billy Stephenson; grandson, Billy E. Stephenson II; and sister, Jean Haskins and husband, Robert.

Left to cherish his memory are his devoted wife of 56 years, Betty Stephenson; children, Richard “Ricky” Stephenson II; Mildred “Millie” Stephenson; James Stephenson (Rita); Ralston Stephenson; and Richard D. Stephenson (Jennifer); sister, Dawn Stephenson (Doug Morrison); niece, Donna Medford (David); nephew, Gil Haskins (Sandra); cousin, Myrna Wallace; 11 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and 6 great-great-grandchildren.

A service to celebrate Richard’s life will be held at Daniels-Sadler Funeral Home on Monday, April 27th, beginning at 2:00 p.m. with the Rev. Earl Sadler, Jr. officiating. Interment will be held privately at Greenleaf Memorial Park.

The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.