Richard Eugene Stith

Richard Eugene Stith – "Dick" or "Dickie" – passed away on February 26, 2025, at age 81. Beloved son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, and friend, his unique energy and presence will be deeply missed.

Dick was born in Louisville, Ky, on May 14, 1943, to John Raymond Stith and Stella Francis Villier. He grew up in Portland, as a parishioner of Notre Dame (Our Lady), the church his maternal great-grandparents helped found. He attended Flaget High School, but left to join the work force after his father's sudden and tragic death. Dick became a husband and expectant father at an early age, and dedicated himself to providing for his young family. He instilled his two children with a strong work ethic, a love of physical fitness, curiosity, courage and, for better or worse, strong opinions.

Dick became an iron worker, like his older brother and brother-in-law, and his father before him. After years of long hours and extremely demanding work in the field, he and his brother, Raymond, became partners in their own steel fabrication business. After his brother retired, Dick ran the business on his own before eventually becoming a highly respected consultant. Ever industrious in his later years, he obtained his real estate and marine brokerage licenses, started a business trouble shooting and winterizing boats, and became a school bus driver.

An extremely hard worker, Dick excelled at all things mechanical. Into his final years, he could still explain how to calculate the rise of a staircase, or recalibrate a marine engine. Among family, friends and neighbors and, especially, in his tightknit boating community, Dick was known as the man who could figure it out, who could fix it, who could build it. A born engineer, his projects included overriding a defective car engine with a doorbell switch, building a treehouse with steel I-beams and girders, and designing a retractable stairway to get his aging dogs on and off the boat. He took on extensive remodeling projects, like building an elaborate deck complete with waterfall and coy pond.

Always active and curious, Dick had many hobbies over the years. At various times, he flew small aircraft, practiced Tae Kwon Do, and crafted furniture. Above all else, Dick was passionate about boating. He was a Power Squadron President and a familiar figure at Louisville Yacht Club. He and his wife, Sharon, were known on the river for their hospitality and ability to turn a weekend on the Ohio River into what felt like a tropical get-away.

Dick and Sharon shared a home together for over a dozen years, and when they married, the collective reaction was, "Finally!" When they met through mutual friends, the sparks started flying, and they never stopped. Their relationship was one built on mutual respect, love of family, and deep connections with their neighborhood and boating communities. Sharon was so proud of Dick's ability to fix absolutely anything, and would let everyone know it. Dick and Sharon had many, many wonderful, treasured friends, with whom they shared countless dinners, parties, and vacations. They especially enjoyed visits to Florida and the Caribbean.

Dick sometimes seemed immortal, surviving and fully recovering from a number of serious accidents, including landing on an upturned I-beam from a fall of many floors, being thrown from his VW bus – with his foot caught under the gas pedal – in a 17 car pile up on Spaghetti Junction, getting hit in the head by a sledgehammer dropped from a floor above, and suffering 2nd and 3rd degree burns when thrown from his boat in an explosion so strong it blew off the sliding doors. He also rebounded from prostate cancer and a heart attack.

But Dick's final years were spent in the grip of a particularly vicious type of dementia, Lewy Body with Parkinsonism, from which there can be no recovery. At many turns, he continued to defy the odds, never losing his ability to recognize his loved ones, and maintaining his wry sense of humor through to the very end. As his body became unmanageable and words eluded him, he continued to believe he would soon be driving again, and his dearest wish was to find a job. That's both heartbreaking and a testament to Dick's lasting determination and intense need to be engaged in productive activities. His family visited often, and he enjoyed a never-ending supply of Snickers and ice cream bars.

Dick was absolutely adored by his caregivers and the staff at Nazareth Home's Clifton Campus. He made everyone laugh with his wit, directness, and frank observations. Of special mention, Wilma Seabrooks provided transformative care and warm companionship. The family is grateful for the excellent care he received, and also for the above-and-beyond end of life support received from Hosparus of Louisville, especially his hospice nurse, Michelle McCoy.

Richard was preceded in death by his wife, Sharon Arnold, his parents (Stella and John), his brother and sister-in-law (Raymond and Sarah), his sister and brother-in-law (Delores and Jim Daly), his little sister (Linda), his nephews (Marty Daly, Terry Stith), and niece (Karen Daly).

Remaining to cherish Dick's memory are his two children, Susan (Bernie) and Mike (Traci); three step-children, Bryan, Jay (Brittany), and Katy Arnold; ten grandchildren: Sami, Olivia, Gwyn, Abby, Maddy, Will, Molly Kate, Cohl, Piper, and JJ; and great-granddaughter, Skylyn (Maddy).

The family will hold a Celebration of Life in late June.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Nazareth Home or Hosparus of Louisville.