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This memorial website was created in memory of our loved one, Richard Wills Sr., 87, born on November 28, 1927 and passed away on January 15, 2015. We will remember him forever.

Richard Eugene Wills Sr. was born November 28, 1927 in Baltimore, Maryland. He was the only child of Inez McCall (née Wills) and William Dorsey. Richard departed this life January 15, 2015, at Montgomery General Hospital after a lengthy illness.

Richard was educated in Baltimore City Public Schools, and graduated from Frederick Douglass High School in 1946. He started his career at the U.S. Post Office in the early 1950s, retiring after 30 years of service. While there he was active in the National Postal Mail Handlers Union Local 305.

He married his childhood sweetheart, the late Adelaine Estelle Denton, in Baltimore on Christmas Eve, 1949. The couple settled in the Evergreen neighborhood in West Baltimore, where they raised their four children.

Richard was a long-time member of Emmanuel Christian Community Church, where he served for many years on the Board of Trustees and taught Sunday School. His long life of community service also included leading the church-sponsored Boy Scout Troop, volunteering with the Baltimore Branch of the NAACP, presiding over the Evergreen Neighborhood Improvement Association, serving on the board of the Druid Hill YMCA, and volunteering with Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland. After retiring from the Post Office, Richard was also active in several local political campaigns, including those of former Maryland Representative Larry Young, the late City Councilwoman Agnes Welch, and former U.S. Congressman Kweisi Mfume. His interest in politics afforded him the opportunity to meet and shake hands with former President Bill Clinton and former South African President Nelson Mandela.

For a short time, Richard left his beloved Baltimore to live in Newport News, Virginia, where he lived with his then-wife, Mildred McDuffie. There, he served on the board of the local chapter of AARP, volunteered with the NAACP, and was an active member of First Baptist Church Denbigh.

Due to declining health, Richard returned to the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area, to be closer to his family, where he remained. He was a frequent visitor to Redland Baptist Church.

Richard enjoyed photography, bowling, swimming, and fine dining. He rarely passed up a good game of pinochle, and he particularly enjoyed traveling, earning the nickname “Marco Polo” by his children. Favorite destinations included Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Hawaii, and Canada.

Richard is survived by his four children, Richard E. Wills Jr., Karen Wills-Henry, Cheryl Day, and Carla Wills; two sons-in-law, Charles B. Day and Sterling Henry Jr.; six grandchildren, Janelle Waters, Marcus Day, Erika Williams, Danielle Day, Sterling Henry III, and Derrick Day; one great-grandchild, Eva Waters; and a host of family and friends.

January 17, 2015
January 17, 2015
Carla,
We are so sorry for your loss! Holding you and the girls close in prayer.
The Howard Family
January 16, 2015
January 16, 2015
As Mr. Richard Eugene Wills Sr's legacy lives on, may it serve as a masterful memory and glowing templet of honor for his family. In prayer and peace my most heart felt condolences to you and your family.

             Mykel Hunter

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January 17, 2015
January 17, 2015
Carla,
We are so sorry for your loss! Holding you and the girls close in prayer.
The Howard Family
January 16, 2015
January 16, 2015
As Mr. Richard Eugene Wills Sr's legacy lives on, may it serve as a masterful memory and glowing templet of honor for his family. In prayer and peace my most heart felt condolences to you and your family.

             Mykel Hunter
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