Craig "Rick" Richard Bierly

Craig “Rick” Richard Bierly was born on March 26, 1951 in Waynesboro, PA, where his grandfather, Col. Leland T. Reckord, was the commander of nearby Fort Ritchie. He was the son of the late Lela Reckord Bierly Beauchamp of Bel Air and the late Lewis Richard Bierly of Sabillasville. He died on July 15, 2024 in the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center of Bel Air, MD.

Rick was a graduate of Havre de Grace High School Class of 1969, a graduate of Harford Community College in 1972, and he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Towson University in 1974. He played keyboards with several local bands throughout his life, starting in high school, including The Great Society, The Wright Brothers, James Run, Sunrise, and especially Bad Moon. He was encouraged to join the Maryland Army National Guard in 1969 by his great-uncle, General Milton Atchison Reckord and he served in the Electronics Platoon at the 1729th Maintenance Battalion in Havre de Grace. He began an active-duty tour with the Maryland Army National Guard as a Production Recruiter in 1980 and retired from active duty in 1996 with 26 years of service. After Rick’s retirement from the National Guard, he began his second career in the security industry as a Life Safety Consultant with several alarm companies including Sloman’s Shield, Guardian Protection, Vector, and ASG Security.

Rick was formerly a member of the Port Deposit Lions Club where he served as President and Editor of the “Flood Town Howl” in the late 70’s. He was a 35-year member of the Susquehanna American Legion Post No. 135 in Perryville and he served as Chaplain and then Guard for the Auxiliary to the VFW Post No. 8185 in Port Deposit. He volunteered at his sons’ schools, first Good Shepherd School – working festivals, bingos, bazaars, and bull roasts; and then at Perryville High School – where he was part of the Booster Club when they worked to put lights on the football field in the late 80’s. He was a member of the Port Deposit Heritage, the Bainbridge Museum Association, and the Port’s Ragin’ on the River Committee. Rick had been a faithful Quarter Auction caller at VFW Post No. 8185. Rick joined the 29th Division and the Frances McIlhinney Chapter No. 15 of the DAV after he retired the second time. He was a member of the Cecil County Relay for Life Teams, “Bethany’s Buddies” and then “Bethany’s Angels” from 2003 to 2019.

He enjoyed hunting and fishing, crabbing on the Chester and Bush Rivers, camping with his National Guard buddies, and vacationing in Crisfield with his twin sister and her family. Rick won a Norwegian Cruise Line Caribbean cruise in 1995 and was hooked. He and his wife, Jo, enjoyed several Caribbean cruises with friends over the years, including two “Cruises for the Cure” sponsored by a Cecil County Relay for Life team. Rick especially loved slot machines, lottery scratch-offs, and Conservative talk radio.

In addition to his parents, Rick was predeceased by his only daughter, Bethany Jo Bierly, of cancer at age 3 and his only brother-in-law, David Andrew Crockett.

Rick is survived by his wife of 52 years, JoAnne Luglio Bierly; sons, Jason Edward Bierly and his wife, Angelina Walter Bierly, and Craig Joseph Bierly and his wife, Heather Izzo Bierly; grandchildren, Gabriel Craig Bierly, Ella Soleil Bierly, and Michael Conner Bierly. Rick also leaves to mourn him, his twin sister, Karen Bierly Crockett of Delta, PA; niece, Andrea Crockett Holzman of Shrewsbury, PA; nephew, Garrett Wesley Crockett of Delta, PA; and great-nephew, Oliver Wade Holzman of Shrewsbury, PA.

Although Rick requested no services, condolences can be offered online via the Lee A. Patterson & Son Funeral Home, P.A., website www.pattersonfuneralhomemd.com, and contributions to the Good Shepherd Catholic School may be made in his memory in care of Lee A. Patterson & Son Funeral Home, P.A., P.O. Box 766, Perryville, MD 21903-0766.

A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, December 29, 2024, 1 PM, at the Jerry Skrivanek VFW Post No. 8185 of Port Deposit, MD.