Richard Allen McInturff (1954 – 2026)

Richard Allen McInturff, 71, passed peacefully into the arms of his Lord on February 17, 2026, in Winchester, Virginia.

Richard Allen McInturff

Richard was born on November 12, 1954, at Warren Memorial Hospital in Front Royal, Virginia, to Ruby Arlene and Harrell Eugene McInturff.

On August 17, 1974, he married Joy Cherise Lawrence, beginning a devoted partnership that would span more than five decades.

From a young age, Richard was compelled by the words of the Great Commission. As a teenager, he read Christ’s command to “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel” and took it quite literally. In faithful obedience, he attended New Tribes Mission Bible Institute, where he met Joy. Together they married, began their family, and in 1980 journeyed to Papua, New Guinea to serve in missionary support ministries.

There, Richard became known for his remarkable versatility and ingenuity. Whether building hydroelectric systems, repairing vehicles, constructing infrastructure, welding, plumbing, developing well systems, managing finances, or designing computer programs, he approached every task with excellence. He possessed an uncommon mechanical and analytical mind — a quiet genius whose gifts were always offered in service to others.

In 1994, Richard and Joy returned to the United States, where he continued serving both church and community through mechanical work, computer systems, auto repair, bookkeeping, and eventually his own small tax and bookkeeping business. His life was marked by a commitment to storing up treasures in heaven. He lived simply and selflessly, always choosing the harder path if it made the way easier for someone else — even parking at the back of the lot so another might have a closer space.

Richard was gifted musically, playing guitar, piano, organ, banjo, clarinet, and accordion. He sang with a rich bass voice and directed choirs and cantatas. He was captivated by turn-of-the-century mechanics — steam engines, intricate clocks, hand-crafted tunnels, and waterway locks — and had an insatiable curiosity about how things worked. He loved the outdoors (and caverns) and often said he would be content to take his last breath atop a mountain trail. He enjoyed biking, photography (especially nature), fishing, and visiting the family farm, where hard work was simply another form of joy.

Family memories are filled with hand-cranked ice cream, black walnut hunting and shelling adventures, and his famous peanut brittle and buckeyes. He loved Coke, Slurpees, Gibbles potato chips, fried chicken, and yeast donuts. He believed that anything fun was made better with a little elbow grease. Even when his mobility declined, his curiosity never did — acquiring a knitting machine and a terrifying pressure-cooker popcorn maker in his final years, simply to learn something new.

Richard is survived by his loving and faithful wife, Joy Cherise McInturff; his daughters, Stacy Hamilton (Donny), Kristina Simpson (David), Tonya Lovaglio (JT), and Heidi Ivey (Jonathan); and his cherished grandchildren, Andrew Simpson, Brianna Simpson, Noel Hamilton, Faith Hamilton, Piper Hamilton, Hudson Lovaglio, Lyla Lovaglio, Raina Ivey, and Kyson Ivey. He is also survived by his sisters, Wanda Hall (Ray), Pamela Lawrence (Craig), and Winona Henry (Ricky).

He was preceded in death by his parents, Harrell Eugene and Ruby Arlene McInturff, and his brother, Michael Wayne McInturff.

A memorial service will be held at the Camp of Faith Church in Stephens City, Virginia, in May. Details will be forthcoming.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to make a memorial contribution in Joy’s honor as she navigates this new chapter.

The McInturff family extends heartfelt gratitude for the many ways you have enriched their lives, now and always.