04/14/2026
CPL Richard A Bachman (Ret)
April 11, 2026
CPL Richard Bachman Sr. (Ret) Scranton Police Department passed away Saturday, April 11, at Geisinger Medical Center. His fiancée was Jolene Vaskie.
Born in Scranton, he was the son of the late Alfred and Lorraine Shook Bachman, a graduate of North Pocono High School and the first class of Lackawanna College Police Academy. He retired from the Scranton Police Department after 29 years of service and went on to be the zoning officer for Taylor Borough.
He was a USA Hockey official for 20 years, former president of the Wilkes-Barre Jr. Penguins youth hockey organization, and a timekeeper of the AHL Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins for over 15 years. Rich’s life was hockey for his son and now his grandson.
Rich was one of the kindest and most loving people anyone could have met.
Always with a smile and occasionally raising a glass to cheer someone along and say, “How YOU doing”.
In his free time, he enjoyed going on motorcycle rides, traveling, fishing, spoiling his rescue dogs, and going to concerts, especially Barry Manilow. He was the biggest Fanilow, having seen Barry 17 times, and knew just about every word of his songs.
For those who knew him, he will be missed for his bubbly personality and his crazy stories that he repeatedly told. But at the end of the day, he loved and cared about each and everyone that was part of his life.
He also leaves behind his children Richard Bachman Jr. and fiancée Zara-Rose Wharton; Sierra Bachman; the mother of his children Charlene Stanton Bachman; his grandson Connor; brother Joseph, and wife Kimberly Bachman; nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his brother George Bachman.
A Celebration of life will be Thursday, April 16, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the Steamtown Church, 1511 Pittston Ave. Scranton, PA 18505 to be officiated by Dennis D’Augostine, Pastor and Chaplin for the Scranton Police Department
Friends may pay respects on Thursday from 3:00 PM until the service at the church.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Liver Disease Foundation.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to long-time friend John Fetsock, Frey-Fetsock Funeral Home Inc., S. Sterling.