Richard Conn

Obituary of Richard Conn

Richard E. Conn Richard Edwin Conn, 87 of Hilton Head Island, SC died September 3, 2017 in Charleston at the Medical University of South Carolina. In his life story, Dick wrote “For mother (Grace Conn), Labor Day 1930 came on September 2, my birthday! It must not have been easy to welcome me as she already had husband Norman and sons Robert (14), Gordon (13) and William (8) to look after but she lived up to her name.” Dick grew up in the Detroit, Michigan suburbs of Ferndale and Pleasant Ridge. After high school, he entered the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1948, graduating with a BA in 1956. His college career was interrupted by his enlistment in the US Air Force during the Korean War and service on Okinawa and at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. In 1956, he married Grace Stromback Brooks (died 1980) and joined Ford Motor Company where he spent his career in human resources management. Ford appointed Dick to positions in the Detroit area, Ohio, Northern Ireland, England, Brazil, and finally Newport Beach, California. He retired in 1992 as VP-Human Resources of Loral Aerospace, a successor to Ford Aerospace. Dick and Grace raised their 3 children as well as her son by a previous marriage. In 1982 Dick married Margaret Elbow, a colleague at Ford Tractor Operations and loved sharing both professional and retirement life experiences with her, especially travel to all 50 states and to many foreign countries. They moved to Hilton Head Island in 1992. In addition to Margaret, Dick is survived by his son, Richard A. Conn, his daughters Kimberly Conn Dunn (Randolph Dunn) and Leslie Conn, his adopted son Michael Lee Brooks and grandchildren Richard M. Conn, Grace E. Dunn and Silas J. Dunn. He was predeceased by his parents and brothers. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, October 8, 2017 at The First Presbyterian Church, Hilton Head Island as 2:30 p.m.with subsequent inurnment at Arlington National Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926 or University of Michigan (memo: Hilton Head Club Scholarship), 3003 State Street, Suite 8000, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. The Island Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of arrangements. To send flowers or a remembrance gift to the family of Richard Conn, please visit our Flower & Gift Shop.
A Memorial Tree was planted for Richard
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