Richard August Kampen(Little Richie) was born December 14,1952 in Amarillo, Texas to Adolph and Martha Kampen. He passed away May 24, 2026 after a brief battle with cancer.

Richard attended school until graduating from Amarillo and then came to study engineering at UTA. He was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity where he made many friends and found his loving and dedicated wife, Marilyn Hart. They would have been married 48 years in September and had been together 51 years.

He and Marilyn have two amazing sons; Cody and daughter Kynlee of Glen Rose and Derek, his wife Crystal, sons Drew and Mason, daughter Destiny and husband Derrick and daughter Aliah of the Cleburne area. He also has a special cousin, Gene Kampen and wife Sharon from Wisconsin, and sister-in-law, Dolores Kampen from Arizona and the Ribinskas family. He had a very special friend, Creed, the bulldog.

He was preceded in death by his parents and brother Edward.

Richard and Marilyn loved to entertain which they did from the time they bought their first home in 1980 in Arlington. In 1993, they moved to Waxahachie and then Italy, Texas.

Richard was an amazing cook and could cook anything. There were many BBQs, fish and shrimp fries and crawfish boils.

Richard was in the construction business from college until retiring two years ago. He has built everything from roping arenas and barns, churches, schools, the first ToysRUs in Dallas, the Titan at Six Flags, numerous houses, including his own and worked expanding and building Cardinal Glass plants throughout the United States. Through these jobs, he and Marilyn made many friends.

He had a crazy sense of humor with crazy sayings that took you off guard and he loved to pick at people. He was always there to help others and if he didn’t know how to do something he kept working to get answers or found someone who knew. He loved to hunt, fish, garden, cook ,mow on the tractor and hang out with the kids and grandkids.

He was a wonderful husband, dad, Pop and friend who will be missed by so many. Our hearts are broken but not our faith.

Memorial will be June 27th at First United Methodist Waxahachie at noon with reception following.

Psalm 16:8 I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.