Deacon Richard Close died

COGwriter

Just received the following from the daughter of beloved CCOG deacon Richard Close:

Hello

We just received word from the hospital that dad died shortly after midnight. We appreciate your prayers on his behalf.

Elizabeth

This means he died on the Roman calendar date of January 3, 2022 in his time zone.

Richard Close was a long time member of the Church of God. He was ordained a deacon in 1989. He lived in Towanda, Pennsylvania.

richardclose
Richard Close speaking at the Feast of Tabernacles in New Brunswick

Here is a biographical sketch from Richard Close about himself:

My wife Colleen and I were married in 1959. After being (honorably) discharged from USMC, my wife Colleen and I were driving North thru Pasadena on our way to Pennsylvania. First heard Herbert W. Armstrong (HWA) on Memorial Day in weekend 1960 on that drive.

We were both drawn to what he had to say. We had been living in Santa Ana , Calif. and attended a Methodist Church and continued to do so when we got back to PA.

The next time I heard HWA was on WWVA Wheeling, W. VA. and continued to listen. Got literature and the 57 lesson Bible C.C. and soon I quit attending Methodist Church. Wrote for a ministerial visit (1963 I think). Was visited in June 66 and was invited to services in Phila PA., which was a 4 hour drive one way.

Attended my 1st Sabbath service the week before Passover 1967. Skipped the next Sabbath because the meeting was going to be in NYC. also about 3 1/2 hours away. Went to Philadelphia the following week and have continued ever since. Missing very, very few Sabbaths.

I was baptized post Feast of Tabernacles in 1967 by Walter Sharpe. Attended the Feast of Tabernacles in 1968 in Minehead, England. Colleen and I were ordained deaconess and deacon @ a combined service (Binghamton and Elmira NY) in 1989.—-{My thinking is probably Pentecost or Trumpets}.

Occupation: auto Mechanic and later was in asbestos removal and re-insulation business. I retired after 19 years–went back and worked summers another 2 years. Presently I am involved in logging and also during the winter months selling Wood Pellets and fire wood –retail. I also have done carpentry work, plumbing repair, roofing/siding, equipment operator, truck driver (straight -dump—tractor trailer-(dump,flat-bed,and tanker ) fabricator/welder and some farming before going into military where I was a radio-teletype operator.

I have attended UCG primarily since post FT 1995 although I have firmly believed since leaving WCG that, as Mr. Armstrong taught—the physical corporation is not the body of Christ–the body of Christ is a spiritual entity, and as such is not separated by man’s physical corporate divisions. In 2015, I noticed enough about the Continuing Church of God to get me to attend its Feast of Tabernacles’ site in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, in 2015. After attending, I decided this is where God wanted me to mainly serve.

Colleen and I have 6 children—3 boys and 3 girls, plus – grand children and great grand children, counting inlaws etc I think 59 total. My wife said this morning ” some thing will have to go” if I am on the road a lot. I told her that if this is what God wants me to do–He will provide.

Richard Close became part of the Continuing Church of God in 2015. Our family first met him at the Feast of Tabernacles in 2015 in Canada.

We worked together on many matters since then.

Richard Close had been the main leader to do counseling and baptisms for the CCOG in the USA and Canada.

He will be sorely missed.