Richard Ochoa was born August 19, 1943, in Ordway, Colorado to Tony and Dorothy Ochoa.  Richards's early childhood was spent in Ordway, until 1954.  The Ochoa family then moved to Ulysses, Kansas, where the family farmed sugar beets.  In 1957 the family moved to Walsh, Colorado, where he graduated high school in 1964.  After high school Richard married the love of his life, Shirley Weber, on September 13, 1965, and they raised two daughters, Melissa and Heather.  Richard quickly found an interest in sports while raising his girls and could be found at his kids' and grandkids' events as long as planting or harvesting was not going on.  Richard attended his first NFL Broncos game in 2010.  He enjoyed it but decided that he enjoyed sitting in his recliner at home in front of his TV better than fighting the crowd coming out of Mile High.  Many of his family and friends remember Richard in his 1963 peacock blue Chrysler convertible driving around Baca County.  If he wasn't driving around or at home watching football on TV he could be found on a John Deere.  His love for farming began his freshman year of high school when he started farming sugar beets and here, 55 years later, his love for farming continued.  If you knew Richard you knew ALL field rows must be straight!  In 2012 he was diagnosed with lung cancer.  Richard fought and won his battle with cancer twice and was three years in remission.  Along with his fight with cancer, he developed a kidney disease which led to him needing dialysis treatments weekly in Lamar.  This five and a half year journey stretched as far as Wichita, Kansas, to Colorado Springs, Colorado, with his wife by his side every step of the way.  With Shirley's support he was able to overcome all health complications that came his way.  Many may have thought after being diagnosed with cancer and all his complications that he would hang up his farm keys for good but we all know his heart was in his work and he could never give up his passion.

Richard was called home Monday, May 14, 2018, at Prowers Medical Center in Lamar, Colorado.

His is survived by his loving and caring wife of 52 years, Shirley Ochoa, of Walsh, Colorado; his daughters, Melissa and husband Greg McKinley of Richfield, Kansas, Heather and husband Brent Cook of Walsh; mother Dorothy Ochoa of Walsh; granddaughter Cristan and husband Nat Ball and their children, Silas, Saul, LD and Lillian all of Seneca, Missouri, granddaughter, Breanna and husband Chris Aranda and their children, Presley, Paisley and Paxley all of Elkhart, Kansas, grandsons, AJ  and Justin McKinley of Richfield, Kansas, and granddaughters, Montana and Dakota Cook of Walsh.  One brother, Sandy and wife Retha Ochoa of Alamogordo, New Mexico, and three sisters, Lupe Vallijos of Thornton, Colorado, Hellen Rowe and husband Harry of Walsh, and Debbie Lemke of Gentry, Arkansas as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins also survive.