This information was collected as an interview assignment for English class.
Richard Lyons, also known as Rick, was born in California in 1968. His parents divorced when he was five years old. When Rick was growing up he played a lot of sports, such as basketball, baseball, and football.
Rick quit playing sports after his sophomore year of high school so he could work while still going to school, which is now one of his regrets.
“So those were my main focus. Unfortunately, it’s one of the things I look back on and wish I didn’t do, which was to give up high school sports to make money,” Lyons said.
Although Rick wishes he would have played sports during his high school career, he started working at the Columbus zoo at the age of 15. That was his first of many jobs to come.
After working at the zoo he went to work at a Kroger’s grocery store and after that he joined the Marine Corps when he was 19.
Rick was in the Marine Corps for four years. He also mentioned that he had never really liked riding in helicopters and airplanes and that he thought he could kill that fear by joining the assault team where they were jumping out of airplanes and helicopters but he said that did not get him over that fear.
Not only did Rick work in the Marine Corps he also worked at the Washington County Sheriff’s office. He started working at the Washington County Sheriff’s office in 1999.
Rick has lots of stories from his experience of working at the sheriff’s office but the one that really stuck out was a story about a 19 to 20 year old college student who just happened to be his neighbor.
This kid was outside on top of a car with a baseball bat bashing in the windows, spreading gasoline all over the car and he was also threatening his parents who were also outside. Rick had to talk to him and calm him down at gunpoint.
“Thankfully, I was able to get him to put the bat down at gunpoint. Meanwhile, it takes time for backup to get there. So that was a scary situation. I didn’t want to shoot that young man but at the same time I couldn’t allow him to kill his parents,” Lyons said.
Rick has many amazing stories and lots of great, eye-opening advice. Although he’s no longer out there in the service or patrolling Washington County, he is still making a big impact here at YCHS.
