Richard S. Cordrey, 88
MILLSBORO, Del. - Former Delaware State President Pro Tempore and Secretary of Finance Richard S. Cordrey passed away peacefully at his Millsboro home on August 21, 2022, at the age of 88 years. He served as a member of the Delaware General Assembly for 26 years, 24 of which were spent in the State Senate from 1972 until 1996. In 2005, he was selected by Governor Ruth Ann Minner, a former Senate colleague, to serve as her Secretary of Finance, an office he held for the next four years.
Richard was born on Sept. 8, 1933, the younger of the two sons of John A. Cordrey and his wife, Rachel Smith Cordrey. He and his older brother, John S. "Jack" Cordrey grew up in Millsboro and attended local schools, working with their father in the family business, John A. Cordrey Feed Company, which had a large feed house near the center of town.
Richard graduated from Millsboro High School with the Class of 1951 and went on to Goldey-Beacom College in Wilmington, where he was blessed to meet a lovely young woman from Bridgetown, New Jersey, Mary Jane Bowen. They fell in love and married in 1953, remaining a wonderful team for the rest of their lives.
After college, Richard joined the U.S. Army and served at Fort Gordon, Georgia, where Mary Jane joined him. Richard and Mary Jane went to church every Sunday at the base chapel. One of Richard's favorite stories was about the Sunday they were late getting to church and the only unoccupied seats left were in the special pew set aside for the use of a frequent visitor to the base, then U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a former five-star general and ardent golfer who loved coming to Fort Gordon because of its proximity to Augusta National Golf Course. President Eisenhower welcomed the young, enlisted man and his bride to join him in his pew and after the service he had a friendly conversation with them.
Upon their return to civilian life, Richard and Mary Jane settled in Millsboro, where Richard established the business that dominated his working life for the rest of his days, RSC Farms, with an office in a small building behind the feed house. He and Mary Jane were blessed by the birth of two sons, Richard Joseph and Stephen Bowen Cordrey. When the boys were older, Mary Jane took a job with the Millsboro School System, where she was employed for 21 years.
Richard was active in the community and in such organizations as St. Mark's Episcopal Church, where he and his brother, Jack, both sang in the choir, and the Millsboro Lions Club. He served as a member of the Millsboro Town Council from 1965 to 1973.
In 1970, Richard ran as the Democratic candidate for state representative in the 41st District, which extended all the way from Rehoboth Beach to Gumboro. He was elected and served in the House of Representatives for two years. In 1972, he challenged the incumbent state senator for the area, Republican Sen. Thomas Hickman of Bayard, and won by some 60 votes.
Richard's years in the Senate began with a shift to a Democratic majority after many years of Republican control. He served as Senate Majority Leader from 1974 until 1976, and as Senate President Pro Tempore from 1976 to 1996. At the time of his retirement from that body in 1996, he was the longest-serving president pro tempore in the nation and the longest-serving in Delaware history.
He served under five governors during his Senate years, Russell W. Peterson, Sherman W. Tribbitt, Pierre S. du Pont, IV, Michael N. Castle, and Thomas R., Carper; and a sixth governor, Ruth Ann Minner, as a cabinet secretary. During much of his time in the Senate the House of Representatives was under Republican control, and three of the six governors under which he served were Republicans. Richard quickly came to understand the importance of compromise in getting things done. His friend and successor in the Senate, George H. Bunting, Jr., remembers that soon after he was elected to the General Assembly Richard took him aside and told him, "if you want to be a success here, you have to learn to compromise." That was an important part of Richard's philosophy throughout his career.
Small town friendships were often more important than politics in the southern Delaware of those times and one of Richard's closest Millsboro friends was longtime Delaware U.S. Senator John J. Williams, a prominent Republican nationally, who retired from the Senate the same year, 1970, in which Richard was first elected to the General Assembly. He and Senator Williams were among a small group of friends who gathered most weekday mornings for breakfast at Millsboro's venerable Sam's Restaurant. Another member of their group was Preston C. Townsend, son of onetime Delaware Governor and U.S. Senator John G. Townsend, Jr.
One of their important topics of conversation at those breakfasts was state finances, about which Williams was especially knowledgeable. This was especially true after the near collapse of the Farmers' Bank of the State of Delaware in the mid-1970's. At the time, the state was the majority stockholder and most state finances were deposited in the bank. After that debacle, there was much discussion all over the state about ways to restructure state finances. The results included establishing Delaware's Rainy Day Fund and a constitutional provision requiring the state to budget only up to 98 % of anticipated revenues. Most of these important reforms were contained in the landmark Financial Center Development Act, the basics of which had been discussed at the breakfast sessions at Sam's Restaurant.
On the day the legislation was to be finalized, Governor du Pont flew down to Richard and Mary Jane's home in Millsboro in the Delaware National Guard helicopter, stopping along the way to pick up Richard's dear friend and colleague, Senator Thurman Adams, Jr., at his feed mill in Bridgeville, and landing in a grassy field behind the Cordrey's home. As they were meeting, there was a call for Senator Adams from his mill, asking him to please find an alternate way back so that the helicopter wouldn't have to land there again. It had blown everything everywhere.
Another of Richard's major interests in the Senate was agriculture. Thus, it came as a fitting tribute to his years of service when, in 2012, then-Governor Jack Markell and then Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee announced the naming of the state's Department of Agriculture Headquarters in his honor. Richard said at the time that he considered the dedication a great honor. "If I had any choice of any building to have my name put upon, it would be this one right here," adding, "I have had the two best jobs anyone has ever had in the world-being a legislator and being a farmer."
Mary Jane preceded her husband in death, passing away on Jan. 5, 2016. Richard is survived by their two sons and daughters-in-law, Rick and Valery Cordrey and Steve and Kim Cordrey; by six grandchildren and their spouses, Michael and Kristen Cordrey; Ryan and Amanda Cordrey; Thomas Miller and Megan Schatzman; Casey and Blake Hershelman; Chris and Rachael Cordrey; and Chance and Paula Cordrey; and by eleven great-grandchildren. His survivors also include Mrs. Ina Cordrey, widow of Richard's brother, Jack Cordrey, two nephews and their families and many dear friends and relations.
The family would like to extend their warmest thanks to their old friend, James and Ellen Mitchell, and others for their help in caring for Richard in his later years.
A viewing will be held on Saturday morning, August 27, 2022, from 9-11 AM at Watson Funeral Home at 211 S. Washington Street, Millsboro, followed by a service at 11 AM, also at the funeral home. Interment will follow with a police procession to St. Mark's Episcopal Church Cemetery in Millsboro. A luncheon will follow at the St. Mark's Church Hall.
In lieu of flowers, contributions to Cordrey Charities would be appreciated. Cordrey Charities are dedicated to promoting and sharing the joys and rewards of gardening. Send contributions to: Cordrey Charities, 70 Creek Drive, Millsboro, DE 19966.
Electronic condolences via www.watsonfh.com