Richard Joseph McAlonan passed away from respiratory failure on Saturday, October 5, at the age of 96, at Parkhouse nursing home in Royersford, PA. He had been a resident there for the previous six years. Before that, he lived for ten years with his daughter, Terry Murphy, and her family in Schwenksville, PA.

Richard was born on February 3, 1923 in Philadelphia, PA, the son of parents William and Emma ( née Cleary). He had two brothers, William, Jr. and Francis, both now deceased. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Estelle ( née Baginski) in 1997, and his daughter, Terry in 2014. His two sons, Richard, Jr. and Donald, reside in McLean, VA and Lansdale, PA.

In addition to his sons, Richard is survived by 8 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.

Richard was a graduate of John Bartram High School in Philadelphia. He started work as a draftsman, and then became a real estate salesman. After his marriage to Estelle, he moved to the Overbrook section of Philadelphia, where their three children were born. He was a marvelous piano player, and that avocation led him to teaching piano and organ and eventually open a music store in Wayne, PA. From there, he moved on to piano tuning, which he did for many years until his retirement. Richard also had a love of sailing, and he and his family had many happy times on his sailboat, Fair Wind, on the Chesapeake Bay. Finally, he loved to write short stories, influencing many aspiring writers at the Wayne Senior Center, and left a large collection of humorous and clever writings.

Both Richard and his daughter, Terry, had a close relationship with his favorite niece, Margaret Matthews ( née McAlonan) of Alloway, NJ, and he really enjoyed the time they spent together over the years. Many happy memories were made on those occasions.

The funeral mass for Richard will be held at St. Stanislaus Church in Lansdale, PA at 10:00am on Thursday, October 10 (Terry’s birthday). Visitation with the family is from 9:30am to 10:00am. He will be interred at Rose Hill Cemetery in Upper Dublin, PA, alongside his wife.

Richard’s parents and several more generations of McAlonans are also buried at Rose Hill.
Funeral arrangements have been made by Simcox-McIlvane Funeral Home in Lansdale, PA.