Richard John Handwerg

Rich was born in New Jersey on March 8, 1951. He graduated from Bradley University in Illinois, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.

Rich married Nancy Tibbetts on April 26, 1985. During their 41-year marriage, they raised two sons. Although they spent a few years in California, most of their marriage was spent living in Florida.

Rich had a lengthy career in Robotics and Electrical Engineering with various companies including General Dynamics, General Electric, Apple Computer, and Lockheed Martin. He was a specialist in underwater batteries.

Rich was proud to be an Extra Class Amateur Radio operator under the call sign of N6YVW. He spent many years communicating with others around the world and was dedicated to assisting with emergency communications when needed. Rich was an inaugural member of the Loxahatchee Groves Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and proudly mentored several new Ham Radio operators.

Rich loved his family and enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren. He had a passion for tinkering and loved all things hardware. He loved travel, photography, science fiction, astronomy, model rockets, and the space program.

He is survived by his wife Nancy; sons Nathan (Kaitlyn) of Casselberry, FL and Tom (Paula) of Sunrise, FL; grandchildren, Callie, Ewan and Fred of Casselberry, FL; sister, Judy of Sarasota, FL; and brother Rob (Linda) of Wall Township, NJ.

A Celebration of Life will be held on October 24, 2026, at 11:00 AM at Baldwin Fairchild Funeral Home, 994 E Altamonte Drive, Altamonte Springs, FL. Dress casual, but please no shorts or flip flops. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation, Alzheimer’s Association, or the charity of your choice.