Joseph C. Richards

Joseph "Chester" Richards, 73, passed away peacefully on February 29, 2024. He was born on April 10, 1950, to the late Joshua and Nora (Foster) Richards.
Chester attended Thomas Snell Weaver High School and after high school he studied culinary arts in the Job Corps. It was after Job Corps that he married his sweetheart Julia Mae (Green) Richards-Pinckney.
Chester was adventurous and always wanted to go to California. He moved to California and lived in the San Francisco Bay area where he loved the weather and stayed for several years.
Following Chester's adventures in California, he returned to Connecticut, before moving to Long Island, New York. It was there that he owned and ran several pool halls, and juke joints, also known as "after-hours spots". During this time in New York, he ventured into the DJ business and got the name "Chet the Jet" at Pinckney's Inn. After that, he worked as a landscape architect. He subsequently returned home to Hartford, Connecticut.
Chester enjoyed music, playing chess, fishing, and sports. His favorite teams were the New York Giants, the New York Jets, and the New York Knicks. His son, Ronnie, always told him the Knicks would never win a championship in his lifetime (lol).
While recovering from health issues Chester became a much-loved resident of the Bloomfield Health Care Center, where he was known as "Mr. Joe". He enjoyed venturing out in his motorized wheelchair going to Bushnell Park for the jazz concerts as well as shopping, until his health no longer permitted him to do so.
Chester will always be remembered for many things: his infectious smile, his gift of gab, his delicious cooking, (big breakfast, pots of beans, and potatoes many different ways just to name a few), great parties, (with his Super Bowl parties being well renowned), and most of all for the love he had for his family and friends.
He leaves to cherish his memory, two beloved sons, Ronald Chester Nelson Green, Richard Dwayne, and daughter-in-law, Nicolette Green; grandchildren, Daron, Joey, Aubre, and Angel; great-grandchildren, Na'tavion, Serenity, Aniyah, Kaiden and King; three sisters, Citirah Richards, of Hartford, CT, Eugenia (Richards) Griffin, of Vernon, CT, and Rosa (Richards) Peters, of Texas; many loved nieces, nephews, friends; and his significant other Janice Bailey.
In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his two brothers, Robert Foster and Leon Richards-Walker; his sister-in-law Sandra Walker; his niece, Carol Mills; and his nephew Jamir Holloway.
A special thank you to the Bloomfield Health Care Center and staff, and the DaVita Hartford Dialysis unit and staff.
The family would like to express our sincere appreciation and extend our heartfelt thanks to all who sent cards, flowers, prayers, condolences, and various contributions to make our loved one's home going service a memorable celebration of life.