Richard (Dick) Eugene Bright, 86, of The Villages, Florida, passed away suddenly on Sunday, March 12, while at home. Dick was born in Butler, PA. He grew up in New Castle, PA and Greenville, PA, and graduated from Thiel College, where he played baseball and football and was a member of Delta Sigma Phi fraternity. He served in the army after graduating and then attended the University of Cincinnati studying mathematics before working for IBM. Dick and his family lived in Ridgefield, CT while he worked for IBM, traveling to offices around the world, including Canada, Japan, Germany, Italy, and France. Dick and his family also lived in Paris for six years before he returned to the US, living in Boca Raton, FL and Delray Beach, FL before moving to The Villages, FL with his wife, Donna.
Dick loved playing softball, traveling, caring for his standard poodles, and was an avid golfer. For many years, until his death, he served as treasurer and board member of the American and Foreign Christian Union (AFCU), which supports the American Church of Paris, the American Church of Berlin, and the Vienna Community Church. He also led The Villages’ Diabetes Support Group, bringing in monthly speakers from the medical community, as well as fundraising for a camp for children with diabetes.
Dick is survived by his wife, Donna Holt Bright, of the Villages, his daughters, Julie Bright Stewart and Kathleen Bright Levin, and his grandchildren, William Stewart and Richard Levin.
A memorial service is being planned for a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in Dick’s memory may be made to the American Diabetes Association or to The Salvation Army.
