Richard Erwin Hitt, 90, of Venice, FL died peacefully surrounded by family on Monday, December 5, 2022 in the Sarasota Memorial Hospital (Venice).

Richard was born December 20, 1931 in Berea, OH and graduated from Berea HS in 1949. He married Norma Jean Cochran of Columbia Station, OH December 28, 1950.

Richard was the loving father of five children, Richard Jr (Sally), Pamela C., Gregory V (Jan), Karen A (Hitt) Keith (Gary), and Robert J. (Jim). Richard is survived by his sister Linda L. (Hitt) Knapp (Hugh) and preceded in death by his older brothers, Franklin J. Hitt, Lloyd W. Hitt, father Wilbur S. Hitt, mother Beatrice V. (Ogilvy) Hitt, Norma J. (Cochran) Hitt, and daughter Pamela. Richard is also survived by 14 grandchildren; Richard E. III, Carolyn M., Joshua P. (Rose), Timothy J. (Anisa), Trevor L (Ashley), Amber G (Vistein), Jamie R, Rachel M (Vistein), Tara N (Sall) Miller (Dan), Ryan J (Erin), Alexander J (Sall), Nicholas R (Sall), Cody J, Bradley P, and 8 great grandchildren; Kaley E, Kyler R, Paul A, Heather R, Crew J, Oakley E., Harper G., Theodore R., great step-grandson Morgan M. Miller, and one great, great granddaughter, Journey R Foster.

After HS, Richard attended Ohio Wesleyan and Baldwin Wallace Colleges, OH briefly and then joined the Air Force in 1950 during the Korean War, serving as a radar technician and radar school instructor. Upon discharge in 1954 Richard and family settled in Columbus, OH where he graduated with a BS in Physics from Ohio State U. in 1958. Richard was a pioneer computer engineer, working for Battelle Memorial Institute, where he was on the team that digitized the Penn Central Railroad, and then the Columbus Public Schools where he oversaw one of the first large public school system digitization projects in the US. He continued computer engineering in the private sector in Florida and Nassau, Bahamas with many first-ever digitization projects for businesses and banks. In later years he worked at Mnemonics, Inc., FL, Raytheon (Tucson), and Hypres, Inc., NY as a missile software and test engineer, retiring in 2013. In retirement, he enjoyed gardening and lawn care where he lived in Tucson, AZ, New Fairfield, CT, and Pickens, SC. He even helped maintain the garden at his assisted living home in Venice, FL.

Richard loved his large family and very large extended family, enjoying many memorable fishing and golf events and especially the numerous family reunions. He was well loved and is remembered for his fun disposition and sense of humor, and his work hard/play hard approach to life. Richard will be interred in the Sarasota National Cemetery on January 30th in a private ceremony of family and his close friends.

Richard's Celebration of Life, for all, will be January 30th at 2PM at the Venice Art Center, 390 Nokomis Ave. S., Venice, FL 35285. Please RSVP to a family member. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in his name to the Wounded Warriors Project, or Tunnel to Towers.