Robert LeRoy Richards' Obituary
Robert was preceded in death by his wife Margaret Lynne, and his son James Robert. He is survived by his daughter Kathy Lynne Bates, husband James Bates of Terrell, Texas, and daughter Sandra Kosowski, husband Jerry Koswski of Pace, Florida, and one sister, Margita Mullendar of Lake Park, Florida, six grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. Some of you did not know Bob had been married for a short period of time before he met and married Margie. From that marriage there was a child, Sandra. During the past few years Sandra, Bob and Kathy have had the privilege to get to know one another. Sandra and Jerry are here today to celebrate the life of Bob Richards. Bob Richards may very well be tied to a cloud in Heaven; Margie and her sisters have put him there. Bob and Margie had lived down the street from one another as children. They story goes that Bob had been badgering Margie and her sisters to play cowboys and Indians. They didn’t want to play, but finally consented. Bob wanted to be the cowboy, so Margie, Lil and Flo would be the Indians. They tied him up to a tree and left him there all afternoon. After all, he was that “mean little boy down the street”. Bob and Margie’s lives unfolded along separate paths, only to come together again in marriage, where they lived 56 active, wonderful years together. Born in Marshville, Ohio, Bob spent his growing years in Canal Fulton and Akron, Ohio. During World War II, he entered the Sea Bees, spending much of his time in Trinidad. He worked across many northern states for The Davey Tree Company. A damaging ice storm sent him on temporary assignment to North Central Texas in 1949, but when his work finished a year later, he decided he liked the climate, and he would stay, where he started his own business as one of the first Arborists in Dallas, defining tree disease, soil amendments, design landscape and lawn care. Many years later he went to work for J.T. Hawkins, of Hawkins Nursery and Landscaping. He had to retire three times- they just wouldn’t let him go. Bob had always been an active, civic-minded citizen and strong contributor to social causes, politically and socially. He served the Boy Scouts of America selflessly for decades, participating in so many capacities that he earned The Silver Beaver Award, a distinguished badge of honor for contribution and service to Boy Scouts of America. Although he became a Mason at the age of 18, he had barely put Boy Scouts behind him when he began a very active involvement with the Hella Shriners. As a Shriner, he joined the Clown Unit, and nobody doubted that he was a natural from the very beginning. For over 30 years he and a band of like-minded, fun-loving friends, known throughout Dallas and surrounding cities as The Podunk Fire Department, entertained communities with the one-of-a-kind miniature fire truck they bought, patched, mended, repaired, and somehow managed to keep moving year after year as their own highly-recognized signature prop. They spent hours and hours each year entertaining both children and adults in order to raise funds and awareness for the Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital and Shrine Burn Hospitals- good works done by few to benefit many. A large part of their entertainment was a continued invitation to clown in the Starlight Parade for the State Fair of Texas with their Podunk Fire Truck. And, of course, his life was rounded out by the fun times and trips with another unit of the Hella Temple, the Rollin’ Nobles. Bob and Margie loved to travel and they succeeded in their goal to hit every state in the Nation. Bob earned his 65 year pin from Victory Lodge #649 in Akron, Ohio; both the Masonic and Scottish Rite passage, and has been a contributing member of the Hella Shrine Temple since 1969. We all started missing Bob when Margie died. A very big part of him went with her. In the years that followed her death, Bob’s body began a physical deterioration. But he was still witty and still wishful. And, he was still a clown as the staff of Windsor Care, the nursing facility where he lived, would attest, chuckling spontaneously as they approached him. They honored him with personal attention and conversation. His great enjoyment, other than a good meal, was music. He really loved his stereo, and enjoyed both Big Bang and classical music. So, Bob Richards has requested a special Guy Lombardo song to be played at his funeral, and everyone who knows him well, knows that this request is typical of Bob’s style and humor and zest: “Enjoy Yourself”.
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