Richard Alan Champlin

Richard Alan Champlin

10/29/54 – 3/29/24

Richard “Rich” Champlin, 69, formerly of Hanford, California and recently residing in Dillon, Montana passed away on Friday, March 29, 2024, from an unexpected health issue.   

Rich was born on October 29^th 1954 to Calvin “Bud” and Mary Champlin in Hanford, California. From an early age, Rich fell in love with the sport of Baseball, pack trips and anything outdoors. Rich traveled on horseback with his mom for the first time at 18 months old. They packed back into Trout Meadows high up in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. This would be the first of many pack trips Rich would be a part of with friends and family in his lifetime. He also carried on the family tradition of baseball at a young age. Rich loved playing the game from behind the plate as a catcher.    

Rich attended and graduated from Hanford High. While there he was a proud member of the Future Farmers of America (FFA). He loved caring for and showing market hogs. He even successfully completed a few hog breeding projects on the family farm. These were the years that would spark his interest to become an Agriculture teacher and share his knowledge and life lessons with younger people.  

Rich attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. While in college Rich loved to fly. He traveled with his closest friends to fly hang gliders. He also raced go carts. He loved talking about his dream that turned into a reality of losing his breaks entering the corkscrew at Laguna Seca Raceway. 

He graduated from Cal Poly in the fall of 1977.  After college Rich loaded up his little pickup and took his first teaching job in Washington. The next year he landed in Arroyo Grande, California as an Agriculture teacher. Rich educated many students in Arroyo Grande. He taught welding, food science, horticulture, meat processing and was the hog advisor for the Arroyo Grande FFA. He also loved to teach the art of barbecuing and making the perfect garlic butter French bread. One of Rich’s passions as an Ag teacher was meats judging. He spent a lot of time on the road traveling around with students competing at various meats judging competitions. He even led a team to win at the National level. That would forever be one of his proudest accomplishments. He would teach anyone who was willing to listen.      

In March of 1988 Rich became a father to Trent Champlin. Rich and Trent spent a lot of time on pack trips in the back country, fishing and trying to catch bears in horse trailers at the Champlin Family cabin at Cedar Slope. Dad’s plan never worked for catching bears nonetheless it was fun!  

In 2004 Rich met the love of his life, Jerri Booth. He knew she was the one from the very start. On July 22^nd, 2006, they tied the knot. Rich and Jerri had a small herd of Black Angus cattle that they loved to take care of. They would sell the calves to kids for FFA projects. Rich loved seeing his brand competitive at the County Fair. Jerri’s job took her all over the country. Rich loved to tag along and travel with Jerri. They spent any available free time visiting MLB ball parks watching live baseball. Rich loved the Los Angelas Dodgers. He bled blue. Rich and Jerri were fortunate enough to make it to several Dodger games. Rich could always be found before a game watching batting practice competing with the little kids trying to catch a foul ball and getting autographs. When Rich was in a ballpark, he was like a kid in a candy store.

After Rich’s retirement, Rich and Jerri moved to Dillon, MT to follow a passion that they shared in flyfishing and wide-open spaces. Nothing made him happier than sharing the beauty of Montana with family and friends. He loved doing yard work and spent a lot of time watering his flowers. Watering flowers was his happy place. He was an avid outdoorsman and though in later years it was more difficult to hunt as he had in year’s passed, he always found time to go in the side by side and look for deer and elk. He could not wait to be beckoned to the mountains. He loved floating the Big Hole and Beaverhead rivers fishing for the monster fish. Trent’s boys Hagen and Lawsyn would come to visit and partake in a wiffle ball homerun derby in the back yard. Pee-paw won the 2023 Home Run Derby, he still had it! He remained involved in the local Beaverhead FFA and could often be seen teaching students to BBQ and serve their community as he had always enjoyed. He truly appreciated watching the smoke roll from a pit and sharing his love for barbecuing with anyone interested in learning.

Rich would talk to anyone. A quick trip to the feed store often turned into an hour conversation with a new friend. He was always the life of the party whether it be his famous pig oink or one of his famous original one liners often referred to as Richisms!  

A heart of gold stopped beating

Working hands at rest 

God broke our hearts to prove to us 

He only takes the best

Leaves and flowers may wither

The golden sun may set 

But the hearts that loved you dearly 

Are the ones that won’t forget 

A good education can change anyone. 

A good teacher can change everything.  

Rich is survived by his loving wife, Jerri Champlin, of Dillon, Mt. Son Trent (Cassie) Champlin, of Buhl, Id. Two grandsons Hagen and Lawsyn Champlin of Buhl, Id. Brother Wes (Joan) Champlin, of Hanford, Ca, and many nieces and nephews, caring relatives, and countless friends. Rich’s constant companions were their three Corgis, Gus, Millie, and Cooper. 

Rich is proceeded in death by his Father and Mother, Calvin “Bud” and Mary Champlin, his older brothers Stanley and Harry Champlin.

Our family would like to express our sincere thanks for all of those that have given, with unfailing kindness, so generously to our family. We have been welcomed in Dillon and truly feel at home.  Thank you.

A celebration of life will be held in Visalia, California on June 22^nd. 

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Beaverhead FFA Alumni or the Dillon Cubs Baseball-American Legion, in memory of Richard Champlin.