Joseph Alfred Richards Jr.

Joseph Alfred Richards Jr. passed away on February 16th in Williamsburg, Virginia. He was born on April 20th, 1935 to Joseph A. Richards Sr. (Al) and Daisy Higgins Richards at Georgetown University Hospital. He was able to learn the building trades while growing up as his father built and upgraded a number of houses. He attended Catholic University of America where he met his future wife, Patricia Maguire. He enjoyed sailing while at the university. He was enrolled in Air Force ROTC, and as a cadet, marched in President Eisenhower's 1953 inaugural parade.

After graduating, he entered the Air Force and attended Navigator School in San Antonio, Texas and was married on December 26th 1956 after graduating. He spent three years in the Air Force as a Navigator for the 429th Air Refueling Squadron. He then left the Air Force, spent a few years as a Washington D.C. Building inspector, and ultimately entered federal civil service where he spent the bulk of his career. He obtained a Master's in Computer Science at the dawn of the computer age. After retiring from the civil service, he went back to work for a number of years as a building inspector for James City County, Virginia.

While working, raising a family and occasionally sailing, he built three houses for his family, and performed countless house repairs and upgrades for relatives. Joe Richards is remembered as a man dedicated to helping out his family. He will be missed by all.

Joe Richards is survived by his four children, Joseph, Brian, Patrick, and Kara; his nine grandchildren, Aileen, Jay, PJ, Brendan, Emily, Megan, Brayden, Erica, and Sarah; and his six great-grandchildren, Camilia, James, Elizabeth, Raelyn, Lyra, and Finley.