Richard Fontaine

Richard was born on January 21, 1976 in North Attleboro, MA. He was the son of the late Walter George Sr and Carol Ann McCreery Fontaine. After moving to Florida as a child, he grew up in St. Petersburg, FL and graduated from St. Pete High School. During his high school years, you could always find Richard leading prayer groups and bible studies at the flagpole as well as cheering on his Green Devils at sporting events. He also ran cross country, cheered for Tampa Bay All-Stars, participated in drama competitions and was a member of the Fifth Ave Baptist Youth Group. From there he went on to Florida State University, where he was a cheerleader and a staff member for NCA, as well as a founding member of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity. It was through the common bonds of FSU and cheerleading that Richard met the love of his life, Jennifer Rizi. Several years later, he moved to Sarasota, FL where the two were married in 2004. It was through many years of working with his brother, Bill Byrne, which gave him the experience, ability and inspiration to create his own company, RAFco Striping. Richard was a successful and compassionate business owner, always wanting to share his experiences and provide opportunities for many family and friends to see the country through work, all while mentoring them in life along the way. Although he was proud of his accomplishments as a business owner, some of the proudest moments of his life came with the births of his three children Marissa Renee (17), Olivia Reese (13) and Finnegan James (6). He was an incredibly devoted father and husband. On any given weekend, he could be found at a gymnastics meet for Marissa, a theater performance for Livi or on the baseball and soccer fields with Finn. He loved sharing his passion for travelling with his family and some of their fondest memories together were vacations that were spent all over the country and around the world. Richard was an avid golfer and gym enthusiast. He loved challenging himself with obstacle races, marathons and various workouts … always encouraging those participating around him. His love for the New England Patriots (and all Boston teams!) was undeniable! Although incredibly busy with his business and family, Richard always found time to give back to his community and church family. He served on the committee for the Suncoast Charity Golf Tournament for many years and spent the last two years as co-chairman. He was very active in his church, serving both in the children’s ministry and the church office. His faith was inspiring to so many throughout his life and he once said “The ground is level at the foot of the cross. None of us are any better or worse than the other. We’re all just walking each other home to Jesus.” Richard is preceded in death by his father, Walter George Fontaine, Sr; brother, Walter George Fontaine, Jr.; and father-in-law, Bob Rizi, Jr. He is survived by his loving wife, Jennifer Rizi Fontaine; his three children, Marissa, Olivia and Finnegan Fontaine; his mother, Carol McCreery Fontaine; his brothers, William G. Byrne III (Debbie), Christopher A. Byrne, Mark P. Ballou, Philip Fontaine, Alan Fontaine (Debby); his sister, JoAnn Fontaine Morel (Richard); his mother-in-law, Melody Sweetsir Kelley (Jim) and sister-in-law Katie Rizi Kimbrell (Bobby). Along with many nieces and nephews. A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, September 20, 2019 at 4 pm at Bayside Community Church, 8200 Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota, FL. A Celebration of Life will be held immediately following the service at Grove, 10670 Boardwalk Loop in Lakewood Ranch, FL. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: Rise Above Performing Arts OR the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.