Richard McEntee Jr.

Richard B. McEntee Jr.

Richard B. McEntee Jr. SK1, USN, Ret: Died on May 7, 2012 in Palm Harbor, FL.

Richard was born in Syracuse, NY on Oct. 3, 1925 as the first son, and third child of 6 children, to Richard B. McEntee Sr. and Gertrude O. Barry McEntee, who proceeded him in death along with his younger, brother, William “Billy” McEntee and his second wife, Alice Dumford McEntee who passed away on May 25, 2010.

Survived by son, Richard B. McEntee III, daughter Maryl A. Burch, son Kevin P. McEntee, and daughter Patricia A, Maloney and first wife Evelyn M. Dann, siblings Mary Louise Skiddy Hurley, Margaret O’Donnell, Genevieve Terry, and David McEntee. Grandchildren in order of birth: Jason Nutt McEntee, Crystal Nodine McEntee,
Joshua Sevilla, Jennifer Burch, Jeffrey P. Maloney; two great granddaughters, Sierra Sevilla and Maria Sevilla and a great grandson, Antonio Sevilla.

“Dick”, grew up in the Great Depression and spent the best days of his youth playing baseball in the sand lots of Syracuse, New York.  Legend has it that Dick, hit a monstrous 400’, walk off home run in Syracuse and was offered a minor league contract to play Class D ball but made the choice before the game, like many of our beloved “Greatest Generation”, to patriotically join the U.S. Navy at 17 years old during WWII and left right after the game while being chased by a reporter.

After World War II, in 1945 Dick was stationed at the New London Sub Base to serve as a Store Keeper aboard the USS FULTON, a Submarine Ship Tender, which has the distinction of being one of the longest commissioned ships ever in the U.S. Navy from 1940 to 1991. Dick later went on to serve on the USS Tringa and USS Skylark.

With his superior athletic skills, Dick was at the right place at the right time when amateur baseball and later fast pitch softball, was in it’s hey days in the late 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. The Navy recruited players across the country and those who were accepted were detached from duty aboard or sub assignments from March through October playing
120 games a year, 5 to 6 games a week plus, practice, without much time off.

Dick became the top hitter on the team and went on to hit .458 with 2 triples and a double during the Atlantic Fleet Championships in Key West Florida in August of 1954.

Dick McEntee was best known as the Manager of the famed New London Sublant “Sea Raiders” who went on to win, 2 All Navy Championships in 1954 and 1958 along with 9 Atlantic Fleet Championships and many Connecticut State Fast Pitch Softball Titles.

Dick was laid to rest on May 29, 2012 at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida.