Jonathan Paul Richards

Jonathan Paul Richards, beloved husband and brother, passed away on May 12, 2026, at the age of 70 at Physicians Regional Hospital in Naples, Florida. He was born on May 23, 1955, at Park Region Hospital in Fergus Falls, Minnesota.

A celebration of life service will be held on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 1:00 pm at Hodges Funeral Home, 525 111th Ave North, Naples, Florida. Visitation will be open from 11:00 am.

Jonathan’s life was defined by generosity, laughter, and a deep love for his wife Loreta, his family, and his friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Edwin Dallas Richards and Helen Richards of Salisbury, North Carolina, for whose loving support he was always thankful. Also preceding him in death were his first wife, Karen, in 2020 after nearly 30 years of marriage, and two sisters-in-law, Deborah Richards and Mary Ann Richards.

The youngest of five, Jonathan is survived by four siblings who thought so highly of their brother and will miss him greatly: Dallas Richards of Grand Rapids, Michigan; Dick (Jean) Richards of Salisbury, North Carolina; Jeffrey Richards of Salisbury, North Carolina; and Jan Collins (John Scott) of Greensboro, North Carolina. He is also survived by his beloved wife, Loreta, and by many cousins, nephews, nieces, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

Jonathan lived in Minnesota until he and his family relocated to Salisbury, North Carolina, in 1964. He earned an engineering degree from Georgia Tech and later an MBA from the University of San Francisco. He worked in computer systems for a large accounting firm before joining two major high-tech companies in Silicon Valley, California — Intel and Sun Microsystems. He met Karen while working at the latter, and they made their home in San Jose, California. In 2000, they moved to Naples, Florida, where Jonathan began working in real estate. His last position was Senior Vice President, Affordable Housing Group at Lee & Associates, and he was an astute advocate for finding and providing affordable housing for those who needed it in South Florida.

Jonathan and Karen were both generous, diligently raising funds for a foundation that supported families with children being treated for cancer in South Florida. Jonathan was himself a cancer survivor since 2008. He was deeply involved with the Cancer Alliance of Naples (more recently known as the Cancer Alliance Network, or CAN), serving as Treasurer of the CAN Board of Directors from 2010 to 2016.

Jonathan also gave his time and energy to Charity for Change (charityforchange.org). In the organization’s own words:

“Jonathan’s heart for helping others shone brightly in his support of Charity for Change. He believed in the vision to end hate, violence, bullying and division. He put his actions behind his beliefs by rolling up his sleeves and helping in many ways, from high-level strategic planning to setting up tables for fundraising events. His patience, thoughtfulness, energy and willingness to help is a legacy that will live on for all of us at Charity for Change.”

Jonathan was a lover of the outdoors. He was an excellent golfer and loved fishing. While living in California, he enjoyed back-country skiing and even took classes in rescuing skiers trapped by avalanches. He had a wonderful group of friends who loved playing poker. He and his family attended Covenant Church of Naples.

Jonathan and Loreta met in 2023. Together they had the opportunity to travel to many places, including Alaska, New England, and Lithuania, where Jonathan got to know Loreta’s extended family. They married in 2026.

His departure leaves us saddened but thankful for a life exemplified by love, generosity, and humor. We will all greatly miss his supportive and fun-loving nature. Our memories of having Jonathan in our lives, together with the hope and faith we shared in the resurrection of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, will live on in our hearts until we are reunited with him in heaven.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that donations be made in Jonathan’s name to Charity for Change (charityforchange.org), with which he was involved in recent years, or to any charity of the donor’s choice.