Richard Lawrence Richards' Obituary
The world lost a wonderful soul on December 29, 2024, as Richard Lawrence Richards left his earthly body behind.
Richard was born on September 6, 1955, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was adopted by Richard Lee Richards and Norma Jean Richards. He is survived by his wife, Meredith Richards; his daughter, Laura Richards; his grandchildren, Margo Momodu, and Andre Momodu; his grandson-in-law, Zackary Adams; his great-grandson, Prince Momodu; his sister, Linda Timmons; and his brother-in-law, Randall Edward Moore.
Richard married Meredith in 1981 after dating for nearly a decade. They met at Memorial High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and had been lifelong sweethearts ever since. Richard always took care of Meredith by running errands, cooking meals, and dedicating his time to tending to her needs.
Indeed, Richard loved to cook—and he was quite good at it. Even toward the end of his life, when he wasn’t feeling well, he would push through to buy all the ingredients and make a homemade, from-scratch meal for his family. He would then pour all his love and energy into preparing the meal. Afterward, he would gift it to his daughter and grandkids, knowing they were busy. Even when he felt awful, this is the kind of person he was.
Richard’s grandchildren considered him the world’s best grandfather. They say this because he was extremely active in their lives. Richard would always pick them up from school and do fun things with them, like going out to eat, visiting museums, and taking small trips. He also taught them how to fish and work on cars. In addition, he showed them how to drive a Gator, forklift, and dump truck—experiences that made his grandkids feel empowered. Even their friends loved him, as he often gave them rides from school, cracking jokes along the way. Richard also took his grandkids to church every Sunday. He and Meredith would buy them nice clothes for church and take them out to eat afterward—something the kids looked forward to every week.
Richard’s kindness and generosity extended far beyond his family. He often gave significant amounts of money to the homeless and even carried dog food so that stray animals wouldn’t go hungry.
Yes, Richard always put others before himself—that is who he was. But that wasn’t all he was. He was also funny, lighthearted, and playful. Richard loved to crack jokes and give people a hard time. He was relatable and easy to talk to. Everyone who heard of his passing was devastated because they knew the world just wouldn’t be the same without him.
Richard didn’t care at all about what others thought of him, which is something that attracted so many people to him. He was unapologetically himself, and everyone loved him for it. For those who didn’t know him, he resembled Hank Hill from King of the Hill in appearance. Comically, his wardrobe also consisted mostly of white t-shirts and blue jeans. Without a doubt, his laid-back style came from his laid-back personality.
Richard was a bold and dynamic force in this world, and he will be deeply missed by everyone who had the privilege of knowing and loving him.
Richard will be laid to rest at 9:30 AM on Saturday, January 18, 2025, at Memorial Park Cemetery, located at 5116 S Memorial Dr, Tulsa, OK 74012. Richard's family would like to warmly extend an invitation to those wishing to attend the graveside committal.
A memorial service to honor and celebrate Richard's life will immediately follow at 11:00 AM at Asbury Church, located at 6767 S Mingo Rd, Tulsa, OK 74133, with Pastor Dick Read officiating.
A reception and time of gathering for family and friends to continue in fellowship once services are complete is still pending. Details will be posted here as soon as they are available.
Those wishing to send flowers for the service may do so by contacting Floral Designs by Floral Haven at (918) 459-1525. Independent florists are kindly asked to deliver flowers directly to Floral Haven Funeral Home by 8:30 AM at the very latest on Saturday, January 18, 2025, to ensure they are properly displayed for Richard's memorial service at Asbury Church.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Floral Haven Funeral Home.
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