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Richard A Tilghman
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Biography
03/08/1920 - 02/23/2017
Born March 8, 1920, Manchester, England, the son of Benjamin Chew and Eliza Middleton Fox Tilghman; educated at Fountain Valley School; Princeton University; and Berlitz School of Languages. Major, WW II, US Marine Corps, Silver Star for action at Iwo Jima; member of the Bryn Mawr Civic Association; VFW; Episcopal Church; state House of Representatives, 1967-1968; and state Senate, 1969-2001.
As a strong advocate for veterans organizations, Senator Tilghman supported state appropriations for the construction of the Pennsylvania Veterans Memorial at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in Lebanon County. He sponsored legislation in 1999, allocating $2 million as Pennsylvania's share in helping to establish a national World War II memorial in Washington, D.C. Senator Tilghman was instrumental in improving the quality of life for the residents of the Southeastern Veterans Center by securing state funding for rehabilitation of modular housing units and a new boiler plant as well as the dietary facility now bearing his name. To acknowledge his contributions, in 2000 Senator Tilghman was inducted into the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Hall of Fame and was presented with the Pennsylvania Meritorious Service Medal for his "distinguished record of support for veterans' programs and benefits while ensuring fiscal prudence in the expenditure of public funds."
Senator Tilghman was also instrumental in securing funding for breast cancer screening and related women's health issuers and was the driving force behind securing funding for community services for persons with disabilities and their aging parents. He also introduced legislation in 1993 to amend the College and University Security Information Act to require college campus security departments to maintain daily logs of incidents and to require the logs to be public record and available to students and parents. Dick enjoyed sailing in the Chesapeake Bay with his family on his 40' schooner "Gallant" which he had built in 1966. Senator Tilghman served on the Chesapeake Bay Commission.
He was married to Diana Disston for 73 years; they had three sons, seven grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Senator Tilghman died February 23, 2017 in Bryn Mawr, PA at the age of 96.
As a strong advocate for veterans organizations, Senator Tilghman supported state appropriations for the construction of the Pennsylvania Veterans Memorial at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in Lebanon County. He sponsored legislation in 1999, allocating $2 million as Pennsylvania's share in helping to establish a national World War II memorial in Washington, D.C. Senator Tilghman was instrumental in improving the quality of life for the residents of the Southeastern Veterans Center by securing state funding for rehabilitation of modular housing units and a new boiler plant as well as the dietary facility now bearing his name. To acknowledge his contributions, in 2000 Senator Tilghman was inducted into the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Hall of Fame and was presented with the Pennsylvania Meritorious Service Medal for his "distinguished record of support for veterans' programs and benefits while ensuring fiscal prudence in the expenditure of public funds."
Senator Tilghman was also instrumental in securing funding for breast cancer screening and related women's health issuers and was the driving force behind securing funding for community services for persons with disabilities and their aging parents. He also introduced legislation in 1993 to amend the College and University Security Information Act to require college campus security departments to maintain daily logs of incidents and to require the logs to be public record and available to students and parents. Dick enjoyed sailing in the Chesapeake Bay with his family on his 40' schooner "Gallant" which he had built in 1966. Senator Tilghman served on the Chesapeake Bay Commission.
He was married to Diana Disston for 73 years; they had three sons, seven grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Senator Tilghman died February 23, 2017 in Bryn Mawr, PA at the age of 96.