Bio

Richard “Dick” De Armitt was born in 1926 in Watts and in 1944 graduated from Washington High School, where he was a standout halfback. After high school, he served as a volunteer paratrooper in the U.S. Army 11th Airborne Division in Japan during World War II and received an honorable discharge. De Armitt then returned home and played football for the Warriors during the 1947 and 1948 seasons.

He became the first halfback in the history of the program to receive All-Metropolitan Conference selection. He also set a program record with a punt of 63 yards. His most important accomplishment was meeting his sweetheart, Loradelle Jean Almond, while at ECC. They married on Easter Sunday 1948. De Armitt went on to work in the Torrance Fire Department for 30 years, and retired in 1979 as battalion chief and captain.

He and Loradelle moved to Utah where they started programs for youth. He passed away on April 22, 2014.