Longtime Lakeside resident J.D. Lydick died at a Colima hospital on September 3 at the age of 84.
Born April 25, 1928 in Oklahoma City, Okalahoma, Lydick spent his undergraduate years at the University of Oklahoma, where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity and also completed his post-graduate studies. He served his country in the U.S. Air Force during the 1950s, posted for part of that time at Ft. Diedrick in Maryland, retiring with the rank of captain in 1959.
Lydick went to work for Space Technology Laboratory in 1959 as a physicist and later was employed by TRW, where he was the “point man” for the development of the Minuteman Missile.
Having visited Mexico and the Lake Chapala area several times, Lydick retired to Ajijic in 1997 and soon became a volunteer for the Chapala Red Cross. He was the first “Mr. Cruz Roja” among the expat community and helped sustain and expand the local delegation.
J.D. served as president of the Red Cross volunteers from the late 1990s to 2006. A humble man, he shied away from revealing opinions on many fronts for fear it would discourage individuals from donating to the life-saving institution. He operated in the days when fundraising events involved a pig roast or some other lavish fare, where the volunteers loaded the tables with salty snacks to increase the bar take. He loved to throw parties at his home, knew many local Mexicans and always treated them as family. He paid for the university expenses of several young Mexicans who he felt had great potential.
His friends say of him that he was very principled and lived by strong moral values. He did not just say how one ought to live one’s life – his actions told the story.
Lydick is survived by his sister Carolyn Miller and her husband John of Tulsa, Oklahoma; a nephew, Mike Miller of Houston, Texas; and his adopted son, Andres Ruiz Sirratos of Lakeside and Colima.
As was Lydick’s wish, there will be no memorial service.