Richard Hatch

Richard David Hatch III, age 83, a long time resident of Aransas Pass, Texas and recent resident of Montell, Texas died on December 20, 2022 at Uvalde Memorial Hospital in Uvalde, Texas.  The family will have a private memorial service at a date and location to be announced in the future.

Rushing Estes Knowles Funeral Home and Mortuary of Uvalde will handle arrangements.

Richard was born on November 7, 1939 in Big Spring, Texas to Katherine Evalena Vines Hatch and Richard David Hatch.

He graduated from Aransas Pass High School in 1958 and served in the US Marine Corps from 1958 to 1962 and was honorably discharged on September 4, 1962.  He graduated from University of Texas in Austin in 1967 and earned a law degree from South Texas School of Law in Houston in August 1971.  He received his license to practice law in December 1971.  He served as judge presiding over the San Patricio County Court at Law from from 2001 until he retired in 2011.  He was always passionate about seeing justice served and that all people received fair treatment.

He met Nancy Sue Hearne, along with her four young children, in 1966 and they married on November 22, 1967.  They settled in Aransas Pass, Texas and in 1972 added a fifth child.  He loved his family and friends and enjoyed having adventures with them.  He enjoyed driving his tractors and antique fire truck, working on his land, hunting for artifacts such as arrowheads, and telling stories about all his many adventures.  He enjoyed planting and caring for trees.  He planted many trees in his lifetime and we have all watched these trees grow into living monuments.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy Hatch of Montell, Texas, and five children: Kimberlee Smith (Bill) of Montell, James D. Hatch (Melissa) of Portland, Texas, Sue Ann Rose (Kyle) of Uvalde, Texas, Howard Hatch (Pamela) of Abilene, Texas, and Richelle Steirer (Mark) of Dallas, Texas. He is also survived by his sisters Dora Ann Ortego (Brent) and Kay Durrett and his brother Charlie Hatch (Pat).   He and Nancy have 15 grandchildren:  Brian Rose, Charlie Rose, Geoffrey Smith, Nathan Smith, David Hatch, Darrell Hatch, Jacqueline Hatch, Preston Hoffmann, William Steirer, Katherine Steirer, Jennifer Hood, Natasha Fontenot, Jeffrey Schworer, Gabrielle Schworer, Danielle Hatch and 15 great grandchildren. In addition many nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and his beloved little dog Herc are left behind to miss him and cherish his memory.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that you make a donation to a charity of your choosing or that you plant a tree in his honor.