Joseph Richards III

RICHARDS JOSEPH RICHARDS, III A fifth generation Washingtonian, a residential developer and builder and long-time horseman, died at the Adler Center in Aldie, VA on May 4, 2016 following complications from a fall at his residence the week before Easter. He was 82. Mr. Richards was born in Washington, DC on January 26, 1934 to Joseph and Esther Walther Richards, Jr. and spent his formative years on Oliver Street in Chevy Chase and on his family''s farm in Howard County. His father bred, raced and fox-hunted thoroughbred horses under TriColor Stables. Mr. Richards' horse, Colonels Request, won the prestigious International Gold Cup in The Plains, Virginia in 1987. Mr. Richards graduated from Blessed Sacrament School in Washington, DC, attended Georgetown Preparatory School, graduated from Devitt Preparatory School and attended Georgetown University''s School of Foreign Service where he was a member of the polo team. He was the great grandson of Alfred Richards, a longtime brick manufacturer in Washington whose legacy of residential and commercial construction in the Capitol Hill area and throughout the city during much of the 19th century remains evident today. Following in his great grandfather''s footsteps, Mr. Richards became a successful residential developer and builder throughout the Washington area. A lifelong rider, Mr. Richards was an amateur point-to-point competitor and a foxhunter, as well as an avid sailor and tennis player. In later life his passions became the Catholic Church and the Richards family history. His efforts to preserve the family vault at Congressional Cemetery in Washington led to a study of the site by forensic anthropologists with the Smithsonian''s Natural History Museum. He was a long-time member of Congressional Country Club, the Potomac Hunt, the Fairfax Hunt, a subscriber to the Orange County Hounds, and he was a beloved fixture at the University Club of Washington, DC where he spent many happy days during his later years. Mr. Richards is survived by his loving wife of 21 years, Patricia McCloskey Richards; three children, Ruth Ann Adam (David), Mary Jane Hague (Andrew) and Carol Lynn Nelms (James); four grandchildren, Andrew Stewart Hague, II, Christopher Michael Hague, Richard Dennis Kinnard and, Matthew John Kinnard (fiancée, Alayna Hendrix); a sister, Patricia Richards Jones (Lamond) and a brother Peter Richards (Marvel). He is additionally survived by over 200 relatives in the Washington, DC area and many others elsewhere. He was predeceased by his parents and older sister, Joan Richards Galliher (Charles). His marriage to Ruth Peterson ended in divorce in 1971. There will never be another Joe Richards. He was unique in his sparkle for life and his intense loyalty to family and his overflowing circle of friends, neighbors, and acquaintances. Joe was full of laugher and love and to the very end both a gentle man and a gentleman. He will be thoroughly missed but never forgotten. Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family on Tuesday, May 10, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Eisenhower Suite of Joseph Gawler''s Sons, 5130 Wisconsin Avenue NW in Washington DC. The Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday, May 11, at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, 9200 Kentsdale Drive, Potomac, MD. Immediately following the service, all are invited to greet the family during a reception to be held at Congressional Country Club, 8500 River Road, Bethesda, MD. The family will gather for a private entombment at a later date at Congressional Cemetery. In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions may be directed toward Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, 9200 Kentsdale Dr., Potomac, MD 20854

Arrangements under the direction of Joseph Gawler's Sons LLC, Washington, DC.