Richard Iannucci

Richard Iannucci, age 96, passed away peacefully on October 1, 2026. Richard was the husband of 75 years of the late Ruth M. Iannucci, who passed away only two months earlier.

Richard was born in Rochester, NY in 1930, to Italian immigrant parents. He was the third of four brothers and grew up during the Depression in upstate New York and western Pennsylvania. In 1948 he joined the then new USAF, and soon found himself in London, England in 1950 on a secret mission to copy British-captured Nazi reconnaissance photography of the Soviet Union from WWII. While there, he met a young British woman, Ruth, the love of his life, and by 1951 they were married. His Air Force career took them to Paris, Maryland, Utah, Tokyo, and Delaware, before he and Ruth settled in Maryland permanently.

With much sacrifice and six and a half years of hard work, Richard put himself through college, and was eventually commissioned as an officer in the USAF. He retired from the Air Force after 27 years of active duty, along the way earning a Master’s Degree. The latter part of his Air Force career was focused on hospital administration, and as a civilian he had the opportunity to use that skill-set to run the Prince George’s County hospital system under former County Executive Larry Hogan Sr. He was proud of his Italian heritage, a strong advocate of education as a key to success, and was known to many for his favorite four-letter word “PLAN”, conveyed frequently. He was a super fan of all things sports-related, including in particular, the Baltimore Orioles, Pittsburg Pirates, and Washington Commanders. Richard was unsurpassed in his devotion to Ruth, especially in their later years, and was her fiercest protector. They lived in
Harwood, Md. for 38 years, and were close to all their neighbors.

He is survived by his three children, David Iannucci, Elaine Ross, and Monica Mansfield, and their spouses, respectively, Mary Ann Blotzer, Ron Ross, and Charles Mansfield, along with 16 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his brothers Anthony and John and is survived by his youngest brother Ron.

The family will receive friends at Keeney and Basford Funeral Home, 106 East Church Street on Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 12:30 pm to 1 pm at which time the funeral service will commence. Interment will be private and occur at a later date.