Richard M. "Mr. Money" Gilpin

Richard M. “Mr Money” Gilpin passed away Monday, January 25^th after a hard-fought battle with Covid complications.

Rick was known by many as “Mr. Money”, “the cookie man” or the “chocolate man” from his 40-year career as a fundraiser working with schools, bands, choirs, churches and organizations of Southwest/Southcentral Louisiana to raise needed funds.

Rick began his adventures in the Lake Charles area by accepting a position as band director as Pearl Watson Jr High and Rosteet Jr High in 1968. In 1972 they let him ‘graduate’ to high school when he took over as the director of the Wildcat Band at Lake Charles High School. “Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat.” He was at LCHS until 1979 when the merger of LCHS and Boston displaced him. He spent his last year in education as the band director at Jennings High School.

He was born and raised in Lakewood, Ohio where he developed his musical talent and skills on the clarinet beginning at age 5 in a program through the Cleveland Symphony. His mother was an accomplished violinist who encouraged and influenced his musical path. He often bemoaned the fact that he endured hours of beginning violin students (screeching cats) while his mom taught studio lessons in the only room with a TV. His father’s career as senior chemist with Glidden Paint, and his mother’s health, prompted a move from the metropolitan area of Cleveland to the much smaller town of Bradenton, Florida his senior year of high school. He enjoyed telling the story of his first day at Southeast High School when, as his parents quickly escaped the school office, they told him to find out what bus to ride home. From independence on the Cleveland Metro to a school bus was just the beginning of what became a very enjoyable and evolving senior year. He often spoke about the opportunities he had to develop his musicianship and leadership skills that year.

Part of that senior year included a tour with the USA High School Band where he met the owner of Barbee Music in Lake Charles. Mr. Barbee was so impressed with Rick’s ability to provide a pun and comic relief, attitude and work ethic that he told him there would be a job waiting for him when he finished college. Thankfully, Rick took him up on that offer when he graduated from University of Southern Mississippi. That is when the Lake Charles chapter began.

While at LCHS, Rick encountered a McNeese student named Janet. They met on January 24^th. He proposed on June 25^th and they married on November 26^th of 1977. They added 2 amazing daughters to their family and adopted an additional family they call “the krewe”. The addition of 2 grandkids rounded out his world. When not working, and even sometimes while working, Rick could be found with his family traveling the country by RV, tailgating at McNeese and hanging out with the grandkids at Cajun Palms. Even on tailgate weekends Rick made a point of being in his choir spot as ‘the tenor’ at University United Methodist Church every Sunday morning.

Those left to carry on his legacy and pun skills are his wife of 43 years Janet; daughter Jennifer Trahan husband Beau and grandchildren Ethan and Emily of Lafayette; daughter Erin Gilpin of Lake Charles. He was fortunate to have had the opportunity in the last year to reconnect with his niece and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents Richard Sr and Hazel Gilpin and sister Beverly Hansen.

Cremation has been entrusted to Johnson Funeral Home. The family will welcome friends at Johnson Funeral Home of Moss Bluff on Sunday, January 31, 2021 beginning at 11am until time of service. A celebration of his life will begin at 3pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to University United Methodist Church Chancel Choir in Rick’s memory.