Richard Neil Conner

A memorial service for Dr. Richard “Dick” Neil Conner, 76, of Raleigh, North Carolina, will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Garner at 10:30 am Saturday, April 30, 2022. Richard passed away on April 23, 2022 unexpectedly after a brief illness. He was born on April 17, 1946, to the late Kenneth B. Conner and Catharine M. Conner in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is survived by his beloved wife of 52 years, Jeanne Conner; daughter Melanie Conner (Chris); sons, Erik Conner (Amy) and Jeffrey Conner; grandson, Graham Conner; brothers Kenneth and Jimmy; sister Cathy Laskoski. He is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and their families. He served in the United States Army as a combat medic with the 82nd Airborne. He was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart for his service and sacrifice in Vietnam. Returning stateside, he met his future wife, who was serving as an Army nurse. Richard was a graduate of Council Rock High School in Newtown, Pennsylvania. He received his bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University, his master’s Degree in Wildlife Management and his doctorate in Zoology from Virginia Tech. He spent his 30+ year career with the United States Forest Service in Nacogdoches, Texas until his retirement in 2006. While his expertise was the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker, he was an avid wildlife lover and birder. His professional accomplishments included serving as President of the Wilson Ornithological Society from 1993-1995. In 2006, the US Forest Service awarded him the Habitat Conservation Award for outstanding achievement in bird conservation. In 2011, his career was honored by the Wilson Ornithological Society with the Margaret Morse Nice Award for his lifetime contribution to ornithology. He co-authored a textbook on the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker among numerous other scientific publications in the field of ornithology. After retirement, he moved to Raleigh, North Carolina to be closer to his family. He was an active member of First Presbyterian Church of Garner. He was gifted with a beautiful and powerful tenor voice that allowed him the opportunity to perform with a choir at Carnegie Hall. He carried his lifelong love of singing to the church choir, where his solos were beloved by all. He was passionate about community service and volunteered his time at the Fuquay-Varina Emergency Food Pantry. His compassion, kindness and intellect touched many, and he will be deeply missed by all that had the privilege to know him. He is remembered for being a loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend to all. He was a lifelong Pittsburgh Steelers fan. In his free time, he loved to work in his garden, play on-line video games with his sons, and entertain his grandson. Other than home, his favorite place was walking the white sands of Carillon Beach near Panama City Beach, Florida. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his name to the following organizations: First Presbyterian Church of Garner Fuquay-Varina Emergency Food Pantry Garner Area Ministries - Food Pantry