Dr. Richard Cole's Obituary
Dr. Richard Cargill Cole, 86, of The Pines, Davidson, NC, died at his residence on March 23, 2013. Mr. Cole was born in Kansas City, KS, on April 16, 1926, the elder son of Horace Richard Cole and Iris Verner Cargill Cole. He was educated in the public schools of Kansas City, KS, and after World War II earned the degrees of B.A. from Hamilton College and M.A. and Ph.D. in English from Yale University.
In World War II Mr. Cole served as a cryptographer in the headquarters of the First Tactical Air Force during the Rhineland and Central Europe campaigns and in the headquarters of the Twelfth Tactical Air Command during the German occupation.
Mr. Cole’s career in higher education spanned over forty years with his longest service as Professor of English at Davidson College, 1961-1993. An authority on 18th Century British literature and culture, he published six books and numerous articles in professional journals.
Mr. Cole was a life-long musician. He sang tenor in the choir of the Davidson College Presbyterian Church for thirty years and as a classical pianist gave numerous recitals and played regularly for Vespers at the Pines Retirement Community in Davidson.
Mr. Cole was married to the late Florence Adaline Mason Cole for 53 years. He is survived by their daughter Celia Elizabeth Cole Shaw and her husband Colonel Robert Graham Shaw III, of Westminster, MD, and their son Paul Richard Cole and his wife Laura Lauck Cole of Chapel Hill, NC. Four grandchildren also survive, Sarah Marie Cole Lichtenberg, Emily Winthrop Colkitt Zeles, Robert Graham Shaw IV, and Mason Richard Shaw.
A memorial service will be held for Mr. Cole at the Davidson College Presbyterian Church at 2:00 P.M. on Tuesday, March 26, 2013, followed by a reception at The Pines.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Pines Resident’s Fund, 400 Avinger Lane, Davidson, NC 28036.
James Funeral Home of Huntersville is serving the family. www.jamesfuneralhomeLKN.com
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