On Saturday, our Board of Trustees Chair, Rich Waugh, entered into rest. We are saddened by his loss and we are keeping his family in our prayers. We are deeply grateful for his time on our board and especially for the past two-and-a-half years that he served as chairman. Rich was a dedicated and humble servant of our Lord Jesus Christ, His Church and the people of God. He was very active in our Aiken community always bringing people together to accomplish good things. His leadership of the board of trustees was a real blessing to all of us on the board and a blessing to the school. Rich served as our chairman with vision, thoughtfulness, hope, and faith in our school and its future. He worked tirelessly to improve our board’s governance, to advance the school institutionally and financially, and to support me and the administration and faculty in the operations of the school and in navigating the challenges of the pandemic.
We will miss Rich Waugh and we will remember him. May he rest in peace and rise to glory.
Please read his obituary below with information about his funeral tomorrow at St. Thaddeus Church.
In the peace of Christ,
Frank Sawyer
Richard Allen Waugh, 80, passed away peacefully on October 30, 2021 in Aiken, SC. Rich is survived by his wife Jan, of 53 years; his daughter and son-in-law, Kirstie and Jamie Tucker (Washington, DC); his son and daughter-in-law, Nicholas and Lissie Waugh (Edwards, CO); his sister and brother-in-law, Virginia and Peter Farwell (Mashpee, MA); his brother and sister-in-law, Steven and Ava Waugh (Lancaster, PA); his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Patricia and Francis Hollis (Leeds, UK); his four granddaughters, Louise Tucker, Bea, Millie and Annie Waugh and many nieces and nephews in the US and the UK.
Rich was born to Marie and Roger Waugh in 1941 in Cleveland, OH and moved to Aiken in 1955. He graduated from Aiken High School in 1959 and received a B.Sc. in Engineering from Rutgers University and a Ph.D in Applied Science from Leeds University (UK) while working under contract with the British Atomic Energy Authority. He began his business career with Desoto Chemical Company in Des Plains, IL before moving back to Aiken in 1972 to accept a position with Babcock & Wilcox in Augusta, GA. Rich retired in 2003 after 34 years with the company and its successors.
Rich was an active and dedicated member of the Aiken Sunrise Rotary Club and served as Club President from 1993-94. He served in various leadership roles within Rotary International and became a District Governor in 2006-07. Rich was a member of the Paul Harris Society, a Foundation Benefactor, and a member of the Bequest Society. He served as the District's representative to the Rotary International Council on Legislation in 2013 and 2016 and in 2015 received Rotary's highest award for Distinguished Service.
Rich held various board positions with civic and church organizations in Aiken. He served on the University of South Carolina - Aiken Business School Advisory Board. He was the President of the Friends of Hopelands and Rye Patch from 2018-2020. Rich was a faithful member of St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church for 48 years, where he served as a member of the Vestry, Senior Warden and as the Treasurer for 25 years. He most recently served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Mead Hall Episcopal School.
The family would like to thank the ER and ICU staff at Aiken Regional Hospital for their compassionate care.
A memorial service will be held at St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church (125 Pendleton St. SW, Aiken, SC) on Friday, November 5, 2021 at 11:00 am. The service will also be streamed live and recorded, accessible at: https://vimeo.com/641172105.
An interment will follow immediately after the service in the church cemetery.
The family invites you to a reception at the Aiken Center for the Arts (122 Laurens Street, SW Aiken, SC) immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Mead Hall Episcopal School (619 Barnwell Avenue, NW, Aiken, SC 29801). Please make a notation: Endowment in memory of Rich Waugh.
SHELLHOUSE FUNERAL HOME, INC.,
924 HAYNE AVE., AIKEN, SC 29801
