It's been a few months since dear Rich passed away. I didn’t have chance to express then what his presence meant. Today as we celebrate his life, I wanted to share how much he brought joy, strength and love to this whole family. Rich was a gentle, jovial, loving soul. His ever-present smile always made you grin even if you weren’t the happiest you could me. He always gave a kiss on the check to welcome you in any setting. He made you feel good just being around him. There was a positivity you felt when you stood around him that you could never explain. Just pure goodness. I always knew with Rich there was no judgement. Always open and ready to love no matter what. I remember Rich holding Ava for the first time. It felt like my dad holding Ava. It gave me a warmth inside I never expected. I knew at that moment Ava would have another strong male figure to look up to as she grows. The hard part is knowing she will miss knowing exactly who Rich was. That will be up to me and those around Ava to share with her the kind, loving and giving person that Rich was in this life. We know Rich is not suffering anymore. That doesn’t change the fact we miss him and wish things were different. All I know Rich is now surrounded by all the other great men we’ve lost over the years. Rich is now looking down with them on us and smiling as we celebrate the goodness and love he gave to us in this life.

Just the thought of Rich fills me with warmth, even in this sadness of his loss. I can hear his laugh, I can see his smile, I can feel his hugs, and his love is close. They will not leave us, so I know he remains near. This is the peace we have even in our sadness - his legacy of love and warmth remain.

My dearest Rich Uncle, there are no words to describe how much I miss you already. The last time we spoke, we didn’t say goodbye - it was the last thing on our minds. Instead we talked about how “we’ll see each other again” and how soon we’d give each other the biggest hug. I love you Rich Uncle. I’ll miss your laugh, your tightest hugs and kisses on the cheek every time we said hello. I’ll miss your lessons, your kind words, your wisdom and advice but most of all I’ll miss your big smile and warmth. Heaven truly gained the biggest Angel. Beyond blessed to have you in my life. See you on the other side ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I am sorry Debbie and I cannot be with you all today, but our love and prayers are with you today and always. Cousin Richard is now with Jesus, but he will remain in our hearts and memories always. God bless and keep you all, and give you peace. Dale Kennedy, cousin in North Carolina

Our Richachayan has left this world ten days ago to be with our family in heaven. He was such a loving, caring husband and a friend to my sister. He was the light of her life. Sister, be proud to be Richachayan's wife, cherish the memories you shared together from this day and forever. I know you will miss your soulmate, lover and friend. You know when you get to heaven, he will be there with open arms and you can run to him. Love you sister so much! Richachayan, I am going to miss you so much, your jokes and laughter. The fact that you are no longer here will always cause us pain, but you are forever in our heart until we meet again! Love you so much!

My love, My life, My soul! That is what we are to each other. My love, you took half of me with you and I don’t know how to live without that part. But as we promised at our vows renewal, I know you are waiting for me and watching over me and I am dreaming about the day I can hold you and never let go. I love you with all my heart and I fill my heart with all the beautiful, loving memories we made over the years. Until I see you again, have fun with Dad, Julia, appachen, especially your partner who’s birth and death date you share( your uppappen) and every one else there. I love you my sweetheart, come see me and make me feel that I am never alone. Yours and yours only soulmate.

Rich will always to me be a fantastic human being and gentleman above all. When he sat with you to talk, he had an ability to make sure you would be listening as all his stories either personal, humorous, or just something about life would captivate you from the moment he began. My favorite were always his jokes and humorous stories because his laughter was far more infectious post-punchline. I have been hearing that laugh in my mind so much since his passing and I miss hearing it. If I can take one thing from him is that saying, saying I love you more often is so important. We love you and we will miss you, Big Richie Rich! Our love to Suja Chechi and Jesse and family.

Shortly after Jesse and I started dating, I met Jesse’s parents, Rich and Sue. They were both so warm and welcoming, and I could tell right away how close Jesse was to them. When Jesse and I got married, I started calling Rich and Sue Mom and Dad, and they said I was their daughter and not their daughter-in-law. When Jesse and I had kids, Dad became Poppy to Caitlyn and Kelsey, and there’s nothing that Poppy wouldn’t do for his girls. He was up for anything they asked, whether it was forming a “rock band,” having a tea party, letting them put bows in his hair, baking cookies, or cuddling and watching a movie or show. The girls were the apple of Poppy’s eye, and he always said they were his best medicine. When Dad got his diagnosis, he said he was going to fight it with everything he had because he had so much to live for, and he wanted nothing more than to see his girls grow up and get married. Even as he got sicker, he still had a very positive outlook and his fighting spirit was so strong. In his final days, he still told me that he wasn’t going anywhere and that he had more bad things to teach the girls. Dad was a wealth of knowledge, and he always had sound advice, whether it was career related, parenting related, or general life related. We can all learn a lot from Dad – to always find the positive in any situation, to love wholeheartedly, and to always give it your all. There is a very large void in our family that will never be filled, but he will always be with us in our hearts. I know he is watching over all of us, and one day we will all be together again.

I can't even express how much I am going to miss you and the regret that this awful Covid virus kept us apart during your final days. It's so hard to deal with the thought of you being gone, but know you will "always" be in my heart and thoughts for the rest of my life.. From the day we met so many years back and till today and beyond you will always be my "best friend" and brother. Both Connie and I will miss our time we spent with you and your family and extended one as well for the so many times we spent together. Being alone up here, you and Suja always made our lives so much better and complete. God Speed my friend and I know we will go fishing together on the other side. God Bless and until we meet again!

My Dad taught me a lot of things in the 41 years I was blessed to have with him. He taught me to fish, to hunt and to enjoy the outdoors. He taught me about roofing houses, wood working and how to use different tools to be able to complete tasks on my own rather than hiring a tradesman or contractor. He taught me about computers and programming which then led me to my career in IT. He taught me to be a better manager, a better husband, and most importantly a better man. He taught me to be a father myself and was a wonderful Poppy to both of my girls, Caitlyn and Kelsey. My Dad introduced me to Suja, who became my mother and helped raise and take care of me. Even though they both worked long hours to provide for me, they made it a priority to make time to come to my choir concerts and to my track and cross-country meets. I was fortunate to share many special memories with my Dad, such as fishing trips to Canada, MLB games in DC and the 2005 World Series in St. Louis, our trip to India, a trip to a NASCAR race, and our family trip to Disney. There are also a lot of other smaller events that mean more to me than those other trips. There are many more things I wanted to do with my Dad that I will not be able to do now that he is gone. I know he is watching over me and the rest of our family and that one day I will be with him again.

Rich left us on Aug. 26, 2021, at 8:15pm. His family surrounded him with love as he left us peacefully. He is always an inspiration to me and will be in my heart forever. Love you Rich.