Richard was born on (as he liked to explain it) Friday the 13th! (March of 1936) in Coventry, Rhode Island.

       He graduated from E Providence High School in 1953.

       In 1959 he enlisted in the US Army.  He did his basic training at Fort Dix, NJ. During his enlistment he was able to spend time in France and Germany among others 

       While in the Army reserves, he met Pauline Elizabeth Chartier and on May2nd, 1964, they were Married . They made their home in East Providence, Rhode Island.  Pauline recounts, his first words to her were, “will you marry me?” and she replied “no, i don’t even know you!”  She finally agreed to go on a date with him.

       In the next 5 years, they had 4 children, Richard Jr. in 1965, Denise in 1966, David in 1968, and Diane in 1969.

       In 1994, his only grandchild Jennette was born.

       After military service , Richard supported his family as a steel mill foreman for Washburn Wire Company, Inc. After the mill underwent problems, he was forced to find new employment in 1976. He accepted an offer from an old boss to go to work for Border Steel in El Paso, Texas. “He later recounted “I remember driving down the eastern seaboard thinking ‘what are you doing Dick?’ four kids and a wife and moving 2000 miles away from your mom and brother?”  

       He found new freedom in the Texas desert, taking up motorcycle riding, rifle and pistol firing, Square-Dancing, Round-Dancing, and going to rodeos.  He liked sitting out in his “shirt sleeves” and cowboy hat and soaking up the sun.

       In 2002, Richard retired from Handguards Plastics (as Dick-Head of Maintenance.) to Florida where he and Pauline lived with their son David.   He spent his final decade enjoying warm weather, and relaxing in the garage and the yard. 

       On September 29,  2013, after a swift onset of dementia and alzheimers, Richard passed away in Titusville, FL, Though he did not spend his final year as he would have liked to, he was surrounded by family and people who cared about him, and as he would tell you himself “that’s all you can hope for!”