Richard Doyle Pace

Richard Doyle Pace (91) took his last breath and went home to be with the Lord on January 2, 2025 in Allen, TX. Richard (Dick) and his identical twin Robert (Bob) were born on January 18, 1933 to Byron and Edna Pace in Detroit, MI. While attending MacKenzie High School in Detroit, MI, a classmate reached out to the twins and shared his faith in Jesus Christ with them, inviting them to church. Both brothers accepted the invitation and committed to a life of faith in God that would continue the remainder of their lives. With guidance from the leaders in the church, Dick and his brother were both given the opportunity to attend Wheaton College in IL. Following graduation in 1955, Dick was helping to coach the track and field team at Wheaton, when he was offered a position as a math teacher and coach at the Baptist Institute of the Ozarks in Belle Vista, AR. While working there, he was attending a church in Bentonville, AR where he met and fell in love with Carol Guthary. The couple was married on August 9,1958 and Dick continued teaching at the Baptist boarding school. In the early 1960’s Dick and Carol moved to Kent, OH where he taught math and attended a technology training school in the area. While there, they joined 4 other young couples on a mission to start up a new church in the area that would minister to students at Kent State University. Grace Baptist Church was founded by these couples in 1964 and is now a prominent body of believers in the city of Kent. Dick and his daughter were able to return to Kent to celebrate Founders Day at the church 50 years later. This was a significant and meaningful experience for him to return to see all that God had done in the life of this church as a result of those 5 couples’ obedience to His calling on their lives so many years prior. In the mid- 1960’s, Dick began working for Honeywell using his technical expertise and management skills. He was relocated several times, eventually ending up in Phoenix, AZ. It was during these years that the family grew with the addition of their 2 daughters, Rhonda Lee (1965) and Melanie Susan (1970). After moving to Phoenix, Dick continued his work for Honeywell and the family became involved members of Trinity Bible Church in Glendale, AZ. He served the church for many years in various leadership and teaching roles, where he continued to touch the lives of many with his devotion and service to God. After retiring many years later, Dick and Carol moved to McKinney, TX where they continued their involvement in church and in volunteer ministry at Stonebriar Community Church and Insight for Living Ministries in Frisco, TX. Dick thoroughly embraced and enjoyed the latter season of his life as a loving husband and devoted Father and Grandfather. Dick Pace’s unwavering faith and devotion to Jesus Christ fueled his life of service to God and others. He was known as a leader, teacher, counselor, encourager and friend who touched the lives of so many throughout the course of his life. Those who had the privilege of knowing him will remember him for his love of Scripture, his strength, kindness, integrity, faithfulness, love of sports and of course, his quirky sense of humor. His passing has left a void in the hearts of his family, friends and many more whose lives were touched by him. We will remember him for all these things, but especially for the example he left of a life well-lived and the profound impact it had on the lives of all he encountered. Richard Pace is preceded in death by his parents, Byron and Edna Pace, his beloved wife of 53 years, Carol Guthary Pace and his identical twin brother Robert Pace. He is survived by his daughters, Rhonda Pace and Melanie Companion, his grandson, Jason Trout and great-granddaughter, Ember Trout, his granddaughter, Hannah Selby, as well as his sister-in-law, many nephews and nieces and other family members. A Memorial Visitation will be scheduled for later this month in TX. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made in Dick’s Memory to either Grace Baptist Church in Kent, OH (330-678-9019) or to Insight for Living Ministries in Frisco, TX. (1-800-772-8888) Dick had a profound love of the word of God and spent much of his life studying and teaching the Bible. He would have wanted his last words for us to be comfort from God’s word. The following was one of his favorite passages: I Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NIV) “Brothers and Sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage one another with these words.”

Richard Doyle Pace

January 18, 1933 - January 2, 2025