Richard John Cheney

Richard John Cheney 87 of Florissant, MO passed away November 9, 2023. Richard was born on May 21, 1936 in Troy, IL, a son of Merle and Pauline (Sabo) Cheney. He was a resident of Edwardsville, IL where his father owned a restaurant. He also lived in St. Louis next to the old courthouse at the MacArthur Hotel located at 100 North Broadway where he helped raise his little brother, Don, while their father worked out of town. He later moved to California and took a job at Boeing but returned to St. Louis after a year. Richard had a gift for singing and was hired by Prentice Minner as one of his backup singers where he met Mary Margaret Metzger, another talented vocalist and backup singer. The two performed at various venues throughout St. Louis and other cities. Richard began dating Mary, and they had their first date at her sister Dorothy Pettit’s home in St. Charles, MO. They also worked together at Lambert Airport where his father prepared meals for flights. He once put a live lobster on the food conveyor belt and sent it her way. He was ahead of his time and punking people in the 50’s. He never lost his sense of humor and it served him well all his life. Richard also sold life insurance and among his clients were Ike Turner’s mother resulting in a few encounters with Ike and Tina. He also had Fred Sanford, Redd Foxx’s brother, as a client who used his name in the Sanford and Son show as a tribute to his brother. Richard and Mary married in 1958 and moved to Chicago, IL where he became head chef at Tavern On The Green. Later they opened an Italian restaurant named Pinocchio’s. He was an amazing cook and his lasagna was second to none. They returned to St. Louis in 1961. In 1963 he took a job as a collector at Data Service in downtown St. Louis. When the company moved to Clayton and transitioned to computers, the size of refrigerators, he taught himself how to program and operate the entire computer system, with nothing more than an 8th grade education. He was promoted from collector to computer programmer to vice-president and retired from the company in 1992. He was truly a self-made man. Richard was an avid Cardinals fan, both football and baseball, and attended the 1982 World Series with his son in which the Cardinals became World Champions. He loved rock ’n’ roll. The Eagles, Bob Seger and Springsteen were among his favorites. He attended several concerts across the country including Springsteen in Memphis in 1984 where he and his son got a private tour of Graceland the night before. Also Soldier Field in Chicago with 85,000 fans in 1985. He even got to go backstage and meet the E Street Band in 1988 when his son took him on The Tunnel of Love Tour. Patti Scialfa, a member of the E Street Band who married Springsteen in 1991, sat at a table with them and had a wonderful conversation. Richard was a dedicated member of the Florissant Eagles Club where he was a valuable part of the community. He and Mary helped support many local charities. They were always there to help anyone who needed it. He was also a member of the Catholic Church and attended St. Rose Phillippine Duchesene in Florissant, MO. Richard is survived by his sons Richard Joseph Cheney and Anthony Michael Cheney and his daughter Kelley Ann Runnoe of Florissant, MO. He was preceded in death by his son James Alan Cheney who passed in 1992. His also survived by five grandchildren, Sharayah Naomi Heidenhain, Richard Joshua Cheney, Natalie Dawn Agostino, William Thomas Gilbert and Anthony James Cheney, and by three great grandchildren, Nora, James “Rocky” and Emil. Richard and Mary touched countless lives and became known as Papa and Nana, not only to their grandchildren but to all who knew and loved them. We will never forget them. A Memorial Service in their honor will be held May 4, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. (CST) at Florissant Church of Christ, 16460 New Halls Ferry Rd, Florissant, MO 63031. Following the service there will be a gathering for friends and family at the Fraternal Order of The Eagles Club at 15245 New Halls Ferry Rd, Florissant MO 63031 to honor this wonderful man and his amazing wife Mary Margaret (Metzger) Cheney. We hope you can attend. God Bless.

Richard John Cheney

May 21, 1936 - November 9, 2023