Richard Peter Reskow passed on to eternal life on December 12, 2018. Richard was born in Newark New Jersey, the son of Mary (Schaefer) and Walter Reskow. He attained a B.A degree from Kean College (formerly Newark State College) and taught high school industrial arts and drafting courses while pursuing an M.A degree, also at Kean College. In 1969 he began a very successful career in educational publishing, and worked in marketing, sales, and editorial positions at the Charles Bennett Company, Prentice Hall, and Mc Graw-Hill, where he worked for 25 years.
A few years after retiring to Florida in 2001, Richard developed a passion for helping others and began volunteering for the Center for Building Hope, a nonprofit organization that provided free support to cancer patients and their caregivers and families. After the unfortunate demise of CBH in 2015, he began volunteering for Tidewell Hospice, where he enjoyed visiting patients at several long-term care facilities, supporting and providing respite to caregivers in private homes, participating in new volunteer training, and working at the Hospice House in Ellington. He was moved and extremely proud when he received the Tidewell Volunteer Difference award in 2016.
In his leisure, Richard enjoyed cycling and he and his wife, Therese, enjoyed several biking trips in Texas, North and South Carolina, Hawaii, Colorado, New Mexico, France, and Italy. Richard loved music, especially opera and classical genres. He attended many opera performances by the New York Metropolitan Opera, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. While living in Columbus, Ohio in the 1990’s, Richard used his marketing and sales expertise as a volunteer for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra’s fund-raising activities. Richard was also an artist who enjoyed drawing, mostly in pencil and charcoal, painting, using acrylics, and photography.
Richard is survived by his wife, Therese; his dear son and daughter-in-law: Erik and Silvia Reskow, Readington, NJ; daughter Kristin Girardo and two grandchildren, Atlanta GA; sister and brother-in-law: Doris and Art McCrae, Fredericksburg, TX; sister and brother-in-law Marian and Jim Hendrix, Whiting, NJ, and brother and sister-in-law Daniel and Judy Reskow, Longboat Key.
A funeral mass will begin at 9:30 am on Saturday, March 16, 2019 at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church, 12905 E State Rd 70, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 followed by interment at 11 am at Palms Memorial Park, 170 Honore Ave., Sarasota, FL 34232.
Memorial donations in memory of Richard may be made to Tidewell Hospice.
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