Richard A. Roberts Jr., “Rick”, 64, of Biddeford, passed away in the early morning hours on July 22, 2022 at Maine Medical Center with his wife and children by his side. Rick suffered complications from a spinal cord injury taking place nearly 7 weeks earlier. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Carol; son, Matt; daughter, Sarah and her husband Dan Goodman, and his cherished grandchildren Maxine and Asher. He is also survived by many siblings and their families, including his sisters Lynn Bisco, Laura Huskins, foster sister Pam Sanborn; as well as step-siblings, Terri Verrill, Lauri Libby, Jerry Leighton, Tammi Seymour, Scott Leighton, Marcia Leighton, and Glenn Leighton. He is predeceased by his mother, Louise; his father, Richard Sr.; and his step-father, Leo Leighton.
Rick was born November 28th, 1957, to Richard Roberts Sr. and Louise Sawyer Leighton in Norway, Maine. Rick was raised in Standish and was a proud Bonney Eagle Scotsman. He attended Southern Maine Technical College. Rick worked in wastewater treatment, owned his own insulation business, and settled in at Hannaford Bros. where he worked for 32 years and made countless friends out of colleagues. Rick married the love of his life, Carol, in a very small ceremony on April 25, 1987. They let friends know by changing the message on their answering machine.
Rick was a devoted sports fan. Some of his best memories were from playing basketball and baseball in high school, softball into his 30s, and most recently pickleball. He was loyal to the New England professional sports teams (especially the Red Sox) but was just as happy watching the local high school games. He especially enjoyed watching his children’s games. Rick had a passion for fantasy baseball and football. He loved strategizing and trash talking with his lifelong friends of the league for more than 30 years.
Rick was an avid cribbage player and also enjoyed strategy board games and his nightly Sudoku. He spent countless hours listening to music, notably 70’s rock, and perusing the selection at Bull Moose Music to find the perfect albums for his collection. He cherished spending time with his friends who meant so much to him, whether it was playing cards, camping, and road trips together. A few years ago, he purchased his dream truck and enjoyed driving it every day.
At the end of the day, absolutely nothing was more important to Rick than family. He made us all feel safe, supported, comforted, and would do anything to make us happy.
Over the last 7 weeks in the hospital, Rick showed unbelievable strength. Many times, we felt that the hand he was dealt was incredibly unfair. Yet he treated each person who entered his room with respect, gratitude, and kindness each day. He always worked his hardest and showed incredible courage – we are so proud of him. He is our hero.
Relatives and Friends are invited to attend visiting hours on Friday July 29 from 4-7 PM at Jones, Rich, and Barnes Funeral Home, 199 Woodford St, Portland where a Celebration of Life for Rick will be held on Saturday July 30 at 11AM at the funeral home. A reception will follow at the funeral home. We welcome guests to bring a picture or memento that reminds them of Rick to share on a memory board.
In lieu of flowers, we would welcome donations to Maine Adaptive Sports & Recreation, 2 Main St, Bethel, ME. 04217 Maine’s largest year-round adaptive sports and recreation program in Maine for adults and children with disabilities, at www.maineadaptive.org/donate. To send a tribute in Rick’s memory please visit www.jonesrichandbarnes.com.
