A short year ago, Richard and I celebrated New Year’s Eve at Cork and Crust.
This New Year, there’s no celebration. There is an emptiness I have never experienced before. Richard died, after a heroic battle against Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, on 21 December 2021.
Richard celebrated Christmas beginning with the birth. He’d get our tree on 23 December and we would decorate on 24 December. On 25 December, the Baby Jesus would be placed in our manger with the three Wise Men still positioned away in a eastern part of our home. We’d celebrate the twelve days of Christmas ending with the Feast of the Epiphany.
It seemed disrespectful to Richard to rush his Funeral Mass. So … I have waited. His Funeral Mass will be 7 January, 1400hrs, at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Huntsville, AL.
At a later date, his burial with full Military Honors will take place at Leavenworth National Cemetery. His wish was to be buried with our son, Kelly.
If you knew Richard at all, you knew that he hated cold and freezing weather. The weather for Leavenworth, KS on 7 January is 18º and a high of 25º. Nope … not headed to Kansas now. I will plan the burial for later.
Also as his wished, I will not post such personal information about his passing on Social Media. I had the assurance of people related to him, not to post on Social Media and to wait to announce until after the holidays. Unfortunately, they failed to abide by their words. I awoke last Monday to posts on Facebook. Richard’s Facebook account was flooded by scammers and so many stranger requests that I changed our home’s locks, security system, and his Facebook settings just to be safe.
If you receive this link, I ask that you not post on Social Media. I want to thank the hundreds of people that have respected my request to avoid Social Media. I am blessed with a loving family and devoted friends. Thank you all for your emails and phone calls that brought me great comfort.
If you want to comment, comment on this website. I will see each comment and approve comments before posting.
Wake is defined as: “A modern wake is, essentially, a celebration of the deceased. Friends and family gather together. A wake involves good food, good friends, and, above all, laughter. It’s a time for swapping stories about the person who has died; sometimes serious stories, sometimes humorous ones. For some people, it becomes a chance to counterbalance the sorrow of losing a loved one with the joy of having known them in the first place.” www.funeral wise.com
https://leaderlines.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/A-Lifes-Celebration-RJS.pdf
Love – Vicky
My heart felt, condolences and prayers to you and your inner circle of family and friends. Richard and you have impacted my life and career in ways to numerous to count. He was a true servant leader and a great man, I am honored to have meet and gotten to know. May the arm of the Lord be your strength in you time of immense loss and grief. You are in my prayers 🙏🏽 ❤. There are no words to ease this pain, but know that he is resting in the arms of the Lord, as I send you jugs and warm wishes of comfort.