Richard “Dick” Smith Myrick, 91, of Milton, died on January 10, 2025.
Myrick
A native of Columbus, Ga., son of Richard Joiner Myrick and Ruby Arminda Smith Myrick, Dick came to Atlanta in 1951 to attend Georgia Tech, where he graduated in 1955 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. He married his high school sweetheart, Patsy Layfield in 1955, and they settled in Atlanta, where they had three children, Dick Jr., Leigh Ann, and Mary Lynn. After Patsy’s death in 1961, Dick met and married Winifred Boggs in 1963 and they had Martha Erwin in 1966. Dick and Wini celebrated their 61st Anniversary this last August.
Dick had a 50-year career in commercial real estate, founding The Myrick Company in 1968. He was an early leader in the development of Peachtree Corners, developing The Corners Office Park, and assembling the first phase of Spalding Triangle. Committed to his adopted city, he participated in the leadership of civil and educational organizations including vice chair and Board member of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and chair and board member of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. He was a former chair of the State YMCA of Georgia (now the Georgia Center for Civic Engagement) and a life member of the board. He also served as Georgia’s first Youth Governor of the State YMCA, earning him the Service to Youth Award in 2010 on the 60th Anniversary of his service.
Dick and Wini were active members of Northwest Presbyterian Church and Dick served in a variety of capacities including chair of the Building Committee, Sunday School teacher, deacon, and later an elder. Dick remained a member of Northwest until his death, and Wini along with several of their children and grandchildren are members of the Northwest community. Dick is also a life member of the board of the Alliance Theatre and served on the board and as a mentor to the leadership of The Jacob’s Ladder Group.
When Bulloch Hall, the Roswell historic childhood home of Theodore Roosevelt’s mother, was slated for demolition in 1971, Dick stepped in to purchase it. He and Wini restored it as a house museum that opened in 1972. While no longer a museum, Bulloch Hall remains an important historic site in Roswell. At the same time as the Bulloch Hall purchase, he also bought and redeveloped the Roswell Square stores. During the renovation of the old bank, he found a collection of confederate currency and bonds in a small space above the vault. His donation of these findings to the Atlanta History Center was instrumental in the acquisition of a collection of Sherman’s field orders from 1862.
Dick was well known for his real estate “deals,” the most meaningful being the purchase of land in Fulton and Cherokee County fondly referred to simply as “The Farm.” The farm became a family retreat and eventually Dick and Wini’s full-time home. It remains a special place to the family and to all who have been welcomed there over the 55+ years that it has been in the Myrick family.
Dick’s legacy is his sense of humor, his faithfulness, his optimism, and his perseverance in the face of any adversity. He is survived by his wife, Wini; his four children, Dick Jr., Ann, Lynn and Martha; their spouses, Julia Myrick, Paul Moye, Edward Dudley, and Donald Varney; grandchildren, Richard Smith Myrick III, Ansley Myrick Thomas, Brian Moye, Sarah Moye Brown, Gordon Dudley, Mary Lamar Dudley, Samuel Dudley, Margaret Dudley, Winifred Maya Bentley, Sojourn Bentley, Jonathan Varney and Julia Varney. He is also survived by great-grandchildren, Mary Beth Myrick, Richard Smith Myrick IV, Delaney Thomas, Lawton Thomas, Ruby Thomas, Wini Thomas, Nora Kate Brown, Benjamin Brown, Owen Brown, Mackenzie Brown, Thomas Moye, and Anderson Varney; and by many nieces and nephews.
A Service of Witness to the Resurrection and Thanksgiving for Dick’s life will be held at Northwest Presbyterian Church, 4300 Northside Dr., Atlanta, on January 25, 2025, at 1 p.m.. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Jacob’s Ladder Group in Roswell or Northwest Presbyterian Church in Atlanta or the nonprofit of your choice.
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