Deacon Rich Bender, a permanent Deacon at the Church of Saint Mary in Tulsa, will soon retire from his role as Director of Faith Formation and Pastoral care. Deacon Rich joined the staff at the Church of Saint Mary after working for American Airlines in telecommunications - data and voice networks, for 35 years. He was ordained to the permanent diaconate for the diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma in 1998. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Cincinnati. Originally from Cincinnati, Dcn. Rich was drafted and served in the air force during the Vietnam war. He married his wife Jane shortly after his return and they moved to Tulsa for a promotion with American Airlines. He and Jane have been married for 46 years. They have three daughters and 10 grandchildren.
