Richard Courrejou

Richard Courrejou, 68, of Burney, Calif., passed away with family by his side at Mercy Medical Center on Aug. 9, 2021.

Richard was born in Salinas, Calif., on May 24, 1953. He was one of 11 children, born to Elie and Olga "Oggie" Courrejou. He attended Gonzales High School and received his AA at Hartnell College in Construction Technology.

After graduating from college, he moved up to Shasta County, taking several construction jobs, including one with who would become his future father-in-law. It was during this time when he started dating his future wife, Debbie, and started a family together. They married in June of 1982. He helped build their home in Burney, where they raised their three children.

Richard was a craftsman. He took great pride in his work and he was methodical down to the last detail. We used to tease him that he took more time thinking about a project than it took to complete the project. Eventually, he retired his carpentry belt to weekend-only projects as he began his career at Dicalite Mineral Corp in July of 1986. At Dicalite, he worked as a forklift driver and director of production. After more than 34 years with the company, Richard officially retired in October 2020. But he couldn't stay away. He continued to check-in with plant operations and with the crew that was so dear to him several times weekly.

Dicalite was a second family for him and family was always the most important thing for him. Though he lived far from where he grew up, Richard made every attempt to visit for important events and holidays. He'd tell us, "Family is everything." His sisters and brothers were best friends for him. He kept in touch as best he could through daily text messages, weekly phone calls and annual sibling reunions.

Always an avid lover of sports, he played throughout high school, college and in adult leagues. There was no sport he wouldn't watch on TV, but his favorites were the San Francisco Giants, the Golden State Warriors and the San Francisco 49ers. If he wasn't watching live games, he was watching ESPN highlights, Bowl games, March Madness, weekly NFL picks and even NASCAR Championship races-he was bound to make a bet with you on picks. He'd challenge you on the basketball court, on the golf course, on the fishing boat, in playing darts or even Chess. He loved competition, sometimes even more than actually winning.

That competitive nature and fight got him far in multiple battles with cancer over the years. Though the years wore on, he kept fighting, right up until the end. We were all lucky to have known him, enjoy his spirit, compete with him, listen to his fishing stories, and even bust a move with him on the dance floor. His memory will live on strong, as his soul rests in peace.

Richard is survived by his wife, Deborah "Debbie" Courrejou; his two sons, Justin and Kevin; his daughter and her spouse, Jennifer and Brandon Shoemaker; his siblings: David, Tom, Annette, Michael, Michelle, Noel, Suzette, John and Monique; his grandchildren: Lillian, Ethan and Isaak; and 15 nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Elie and Oggie Courrejou; and his sister, Leann.

Published in Salinas Valley Tribune · September 15, 2021