Richard Barton Steele

Richard Barton Steele, age 87, of Cape Coral, Florida, passed away peacefully on December 23rd, 2025. Papa, as his family called him, was a true Renaissance man; Musician, Artist, Performer and Entrepreneur.
Richard was born on June 23, 1938, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Alberta (Barton) Stowe and David Paul Steele. He was predeceased by his brother, Tony Steele earlier last year, and is survived by his sister, Michelle (Stowe) Connor of Australia.
Sent to boarding school at a young age, he graduated high school at just fifteen. Soon after, he and his brother Tony ran away to join the circus - a troupe that would later become the original Disneyland Circus when the park first opened in California.
While at Disney, he learned the art of sign painting from Walt Disney by painting the Disneyland Circus logo on the side of elephants. He worked behind the scenes of the circus and the original Mickey Mouse Club.
In 1957, true to a promise he had made, Richard returned to Boston and married the love of his life and High School sweetheart, Joanne Marie (Coughlin) Steele. Together they shared a devoted marriage, recently celebrating their 68th wedding anniversary — a testament to their enduring love and partnership.
Richard was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He is survived by his children Bart Steele, Linda Proulx, Lorraine Barnes, and Brad Steele, as well as 11 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. Family was at the center of Richard's life, and he found his greatest joy in time spent with those he loved.
A hard-working and entrepreneurial Veteran, he wore many hats over the years: salesman, photographer, sign painter, and theater producer. Most often, he was a business owner, always finding a way to support his family and his community through dedication and ingenuity.
Richard and Joanne were the owners and operators of Signs Etc., one of New England's foremost sign companies in the 80's and 90's. Providing "signs of all kinds" for some of the region's most iconic venues and businesses including, most notably; Wrentham Village Outlets, Silver City Galleria, World Cup 94, Sheafer/Sullivan/Foxboro Stadium and Great Woods.
While running Signs Etc... Dick founded the New England Sign Association and was responsible for the first New England Sign Convention. This organization is still in existence and is now Northeast States Sign Association and the Sign Show is still held annually.
An artist and musician at heart, he pursued his passions whenever time allowed. Singing in barbershop choruses and quartets brought him great joy, and he was the founding father of the Cape Cod Chapter of SPEBSQSA (Barbershop). His love of performance also found expression in producing minstrel shows and plays in church halls and local theaters, and later in life running his own production company in Florida, JoDick Productions.
Any outlet for his boundless showmanship.
There was always love in his heart and a song on his lips, ready to lighten the mood and lift the spirits of those around him. He asked for very little in return—just a bit of polite applause or a kind word.
He could always make time for "One more song!"

A Celebration of Life ceremony will be held for Richard's Florida Family and Friends on January 31st, 2026, from 11am-2pm at the Cape Coral Elks Lodge 850 Lafayette Street Cape Coral, Fl. 33904.

A similar ceremony for our Boston Family and Friends will be held later this spring...details to follow.