Richard Messbarger

Richard "Dick" Ervin Messbarger of Kingsville, Texas passed away on September 12, 2025, at the age of 83. Dick was a loving, devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend to so many. He was a devoted Catholic his entire life and a member of St. Gertrude's Catholic Church in Kingsville.

Dick was born in Parnell, Missouri to Fred and Anna (O'Day) Messbarger on December 11, 1941. He graduated from Christian Brothers High School in St. Joseph Missouri. In 1968 he graduated from St. Mary's University in San Antonio with a degree in English/Language Arts.

He entered the U.S. Navy where he faithfully served during the Vietnam War.

Dick worked for a time as the Principal of Corpus Christi Academy before moving to Kingsville in 1972. Entering a new career path, he became the Sports Editor for the Kingsville Record and Bishop News and eventually led to the position as Editor. Dick's voice could be heard as the announcer for the Javelina football games for years. As an avid football fan, memories of traveling with the football team and coaches proved to be some of his treasured adventures. Later he became General Manager of radio stations KINE and KPUP. This position then led to his role as Manager of the Chamber of Commerce. Dick became Executive Director of the Kingsville Economic Development Corporation. In this role he was instrumental in starting the industrial foundation in this area.

He further shared his leadership as President of the Kingsville Navy League, and he played a vital role as Secretary of the Kingsville Area Industrial Development Foundation board and the Coastal Bend Community Foundation. He served as a board member of the Coastal Bend Housing Finance Corporation, and as Chair of the Texas Defense, Aviation, and Aerospace Alliance.

Since 1991, Dick had been the lead community advocate for Naval Aviation's mission in South Texas. He was the founder and key member of the Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville Task Force, affectionately known as the "We Love NAS Kingsville" group. This group was an integral part in bringing the T-45 to South Texas, alleviating many of the issues that made the airfield vulnerable to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). Dick has been a conduit for all things military in the local community. He was directly responsible for hiring over 75 aspiring Naval aviation student spouses throughout the Kingsville and Corpus Christi area during his time as Executive Director of the Greater Kingsville Economic Development Council. A testament to his support of the entire community.

In 1998 and 2000, he was honored with the Sam Walton Business Leader Award and the Community Economic Development Award from the Texas Economic Development Council. The Kingsville Chamber of Commerce selected him as their Citizen of the Year in 2008. Dick has long played a leading role in the growth and prosperity of Kingsville, and he may indeed reflect pride on the many significant contributions he has made to the betterment of his community.

In 2025, Dick was awarded the prestigious Honorary Wings of Gold, becoming the 38th individual to receive this rare and distinguished honor. Rear Admiral Rich Brophy, Chief of Naval Training, presented this award at the Goshawk Ball aboard the USS Lexington. The Honorary Wings of Gold established in 1949, are awarded to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional support, dedication, and contributions to the United States Navy's aviation programs. Dick joined the ranks of former distinguished honorary Naval Aviators such as Bob Hope, General James Doolittle, and Tom Cruise.

His six grandchildren all made him proud for their big and small achievements. He greeted everyone with a hard fist bump to the arm, a gesture that became his signature hello. He loved singing "Sweet Caroline," sharing stories from his many travels, and reminiscing about the mischievous adventures he and his siblings got into while growing up. He was a storyteller at heart, and he never missed a chance to make the people around him laugh. He had a deep love for his Notre Dame Irish, often cheering them on with a cold beer in hand. He also had a way of finding joy in life's simplest pleasures. He never cared for materialistic things. Instead, he created lasting memories in the little moments, like taking his grandchildren to the dollar store to "splurge" on a small goodie. Those moments reflected the heart of who he was, someone who valued time together and the joy of small, shared experiences more than anything else. Above all, he was faithful to the Lord and devoted to his family. His love, his laughter, and his lessons will forever be carried in the hearts of all who knew him.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Ronnie (Potvin) Messbarger; parents, Anna and Fred; brothers, Francis (Lorene), John (Helen), Ed, Paul (Pat), Gerald; sisters, Loretta (Sonny) Hager and Geraldine (Bud) Morris; in-laws, Mr. and Mrs. Abel Garza; and sister-in-law, Deborah Garza.

Among those left to cherish his memory are his wife of 22 years, Sandra Longoria Messbarger; daughters, Kimberly (Kevin) Sadler, Courtney (Glenn) Hubbard, and Taryn (Gavin) Peterson; step-son, Kurt (Stephanie) Branson; and grandchildren Olivia, Abigail, Jack, Jason, Garrette, and Gavin; step-grandchildren Landon and Kaden; brother Charles (Judy) Messbarger; sisters-in-law Sally Messbarger, Jane Messbarger, and Judy Ybarbo; and many nieces and nephews.

The family will receive condolences from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, September 19, 2025, at Turcotte Piper Mortuary in Kingsville, TX; with a holy rosary to be recited at 6:30 p.m.  A final viewing will take place at St. Gertrude Catholic Church on Saturday, September 20, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.; followed by a mass of christian burial at 10:00 a.m. A rite of committal and interment with military honors will follow at Chamberlain Cemetery in Kingsville, TX.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Kingsville Navy League, P.O. Box 1740, Kingsville, TX 78364, or at kingsvillenavyleague.org.

The Messbarger family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to the Kingsville community for their support and kind gestures during this time.