Name: Noble Foster (Nobby) Richards
Service Dates: 1954 – 1956
Branch: United States Air Force
Rank: Pilot
Summary of Service: Noble Foster Richards, known as “Nobby,” served as an Air Force pilot from 1954 to 1956. After completing his studies at Trinity College, where he was a member of the Air Force ROTC, Noble married Elizabeth Kotsrean and immediately moved to Japan to fulfill his military duties. During his service, he demonstrated the discipline, dedication, and leadership qualities that would characterize his entire life.
Post-Service Life: Upon completion of his military service in 1956, Noble returned to his alma mater, South Kent School, where he dedicated his life to education. He served as a mathematics teacher, coach, and eventually head of school until his retirement in 1996. Noble earned his MA in Education from Wesleyan University during his tenure at South Kent and was revered as a humble yet quietly powerful leader who embodied Christian values.
Noble and his wife, Liz, lived in Kent and spent summers in Truro, Massachusetts. In retirement, he became a cherished member of the Noble Horizons community in Salisbury, where he continued to exemplify his caring and playful nature. Noble was an avid outdoorsman, working as a Cape Cod National Seashore ranger and exploring the roads of northwestern Connecticut and Cape Cod on his bicycle. His passion for life and family was evident in everything he did, from building wooden dories to gathering wildflowers and blueberries.