Richard Benito Kimbrough, 92, of Crete passed away Aug. 10, 2023, at the Gardens Assisted Living in Crete.
He was born in Brule on April 21, 1931, to Orland L. Kimbrough and Irma Allison and graduated from Big Springs High School in 1949. He earned a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Nebraska Kearney, a Master's Degree from San Francisco State University and he completed graduate courses at the University of Maine and Duke University. He was a United States Army veteran during the Korean War and was honorably discharged in 1953.
In a teaching career that spanned more than 50 years and resulted in numerous teaching awards, he taught in schools across the United States, ranging from Nebraska to Illinois to California, as well as in several republics of the former Soviet Union. He was a senior lecturer at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Director of Development at Doane University.
He was an author of several books, a newspaper columnist and a public speaker in more than 1,500 venues over 35 years. In 1972, marathon runner Kimbrough, armed with a three iron, broke the world's record for the most holes of golf played in 24 hours. A month later, he broke a 1931 world's record for the fastest play of 18 holes of golf. He was the subject of broadcasts by Joe Garagiola and Paul Harvey.
Kimbrough is survived by his children, sons Rick (Luz), Ed (Wanda), and Mike (Tammy); daughter, Robin; and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife, Beverly, and his son, Tom. Memorial contributions are suggested to the Crete Library.
