Edward Richardson "Dick" Gladding Sr., our awesome father, passed away peacefully at his home on August 20, 2026. He was surrounded by his family and loving caregiver, Maria Marshall.
Dick was born in Snow Hill, MD on October 19, 1926, at the home of his maternal grandparents Leland and Flossie Richardson. His fraternal grandparents were Ray Valient and Ella Taylor Gladding. He attended Pocomoke City schools and graduated in 1943. He attended Salisbury State Teachers College and completed one year before enlisting in the United States Navy in WWII. Upon entering the United States Navy in 1944 he was assigned to the Joint Communications Activities and was sent to Hawaii. Volunteering for forward duty he was transferred to Guam where he served until Honorably Discharged. He returned to STC and met the love of his life, Charlotte Widdowson, whom he married April 4, 1947. Dick had many different jobs during his lifetime starting out as a Federal-State produce inspector for Back Bay, VA to Long Island, NY. He worked in Montgomery Ward in Pocomoke in several capacities, was self-employed for several years as a radio and TV appliance repairman and then went on to the Naval Aviation Ordnance Test Station at Chincoteague VA. He was assistance cashier at County Trust Co. of MD, and finally NASA at Wallops Island, VA, where he started an Instrument repair and calibrations frequency monitoring laboratory in 1960 from which he retired in 1982. During his retirement years he worked for Salisbury Engineering and became a census taker. He was a two-term Captain of Div. XII U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and later filled many offices as well as Commander of the Snow Hill VFW.
Dick was the beloved husband of Charlotte, who preceded him to Heaven in 2008. He is survived by his three children, Edward R. Gladding Jr. (Nancy), Denise Gladding Schoone, and Jennifer Denston (Greg). Dick was blessed with 5 grandsons, Eric Denston (Ali), Brian Denston (Fio), Thomas Gladding, Jonathan Gladding, Matthew Gladding and one granddaughter Allison Lloyd (Shaun). He was truly blessed to know each of his nine great-grandchildren.
The entire family owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to dad's primary caregivers, Tylisha Powell and Maria Marshall. Those ladies made our father's life as easy and happy beyond anything we could have hoped for.
Our father lived a very long and very interesting life. His joy was in his family and friends, but he was always waiting for the moment he would see his beloved Charlotte again. And our joy is that they are finally reunited.
To honor and celebrate a life well-lived, the family invites you to join them on Saturday, August 29, 2026 for a visitation at 10 AM and a funeral service at 12 PM, both held at Salem Church in Pocomoke. He will be laid to rest following the funeral service.
