Richard R. Pollard

1946 - 2019

Richard Rice Pollard, a lifelong resident of Towson, Maryland, passed away on Saturday, November 16, 2019, at his home in Towson. He was 73 years old. Richard was fourth of five children, born in Baltimore on March 4, 1946 to Edward Dow Pollard and Mary Catherine (Rice) Pollard.

Richard, who was known as "B," "Beeb" or "Beeber" to his close friends and family, grew up in Stoneleigh and graduated from Towson High School in 1966.

In 1971, Richard married Patricia (Patsy) Hartley Pollard at Immaculate Conception Church in Towson. They had two children, Cooper and Melissa, and settled in a quiet corner of Idlewylde. Five years ago, they moved to the Hampton area of Towson.

Richard dedicated his career to his family's business of over 90 years, Pollard's Towing Company, Inc., working first with his father and later with his son, Cooper. Throughout his career, he was an active member of the Towson community, participating in multiple organizations, including the Rotary Club.

Richard loved both his work and his many hobbies. He was an athlete who enjoyed sports, from football in his youth to cycling and golf later in his life. He took scuba lessons with his daughter, Melissa, and spent time traveling and hunting wild boar and geese with his son.

He and Patsy enjoyed traveling; together, they had the opportunity to visit much of the world, from Argentina to Ireland to Russia. But he also relished his time at home in Towson, doing his daily crossword puzzles, watching old movies and "It's Academic," and in the kitchen. As the family baker, Richard was well-known for his birthday cakes and holiday pies – his chocolate bourbon pecan pie was a family favorite.

Most of all, Richard loved being with his family – on the Fenwick Island beach, in a hunting blind on the Eastern Shore, at work or at home in Towson.

Richard was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers John, a Catholic priest in the Diocese of St. Augustine, and Thomas M. Pollard. He is survived by his wife, Patricia (Hartley) Pollard, his brother, Edward Dow Pollard, Jr., his sister, Diane (Pollard) Williams (Michael), his sisters-in-law, Dollie (Dailey) Pollard and Noreen (Hartley) Godwin, and brother-in-law James P. Hartley, his children Melissa Kerr Pollard and Cooper Rice Pollard (Kathryn), his grandchildren Dixon Rice Pollard, Mary Catherine (Mimi) Hall and Charlotte Rose Hall, and many nieces and nephews.

Family and friends may visit on Wednesday, November 20 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Ruck Funeral Home, 1050 York Road in Towson. A funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, November 21 at Immaculate Conception Church, 200 Ware Avenue, Towson, followed by the burial, at Prospect Hill Cemetery, 701 York Road, Towson.

In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Milton J. Dance, Jr. Head and Neck Center at GBMC would be appreciated.