Michael Wayne Richards

Michael Wayne Richards of Gladbrook, Iowa passed away on Sunday, November 23rd, 2025 just shy of his 66th birthday.

Born in Norwich, Connecticut, growing up as the fourth of the six Richards children, Michael was known as the child that Mom had to dress last for church- so as not to give him time to mess his clothes before getting in the car. His childhood was punctuated by several moves- from Norwich to Oakland where he developed his lifelong devotion to the Raiders, to East Carbon, Utah and back to Martinez, California. Mike was quick and funny. He could make you laugh so hard you couldn't breathe. That same spirit that got him in trouble as a little boy is exactly what made him the life of the party.

A graduate of College Park High School in Pleasant Hill, California, Mike went on to study Theatre Art at Webster University in St. Louis where he forged wonderful lifelong friendships. After that, he did graduate work in lighting at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. It was during those Kansas City years that Mike met Jill, and their 36-year partnership began. Mike and Jill married in Las Vegas on July 13th, 1996. They raised their daughters Hannah and Charlotte in Burbank, California where Mike had a long career in the special effects industry.

Mike loved technical theater, ultimately learning everything from lighting to set construction to pyrotechnics. He eventually took these skills to Hollywood where he worked on the movies, TV shows, music videos and commercials that define our pop culture. He loved making, building, fixing and problem solving as a proud member of IATSE local 44. He would regale his family with stories featuring a surreal mix of big-name celebrities, slapstick accidents and technical jargon. The message was always the same- he had figured out a way to make things work. He was equally tenacious and creative with the many auto and construction projects he did for family. He spent many hours with his dad in the garage until everything was just right.

Mike loved being a father. He once had a job in the mountains outside of LA and brought home a truck bed of snow to unload onto the front lawn for the girls to play. Each year, he looked forward to driving the float for his daughters' softball team in the annual Burbank 4th of July parade. His family remembers his gentle attentive side and his sweet relationship with a cat named "Clawed" and his dog Guinness. Charlotte recalls a time when her dad was "racing" her on the front lawn but letting her win. Afterwards, he picked her up and told her to reach for the moon. "You got pretty close!" he said. He always wanted to give his girls the moon.

Michael is survived by his wife Jill Richards, daughters Hannah and Charlotte Richards, mother Patricia Richards, siblings Kim Richards of Berkeley, California, Lynda Fierro of Lafayette, California, Kelly (Mark) Matthews of Independence, Oregon, and Julie (Stephen) Weiss of Pleasant Hill. He is predeceased by his brother Robert (Bobby) Richards and his father W. Robert Richards.

Michael will be laid to rest alongside his father and brother at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Lafayette, California. Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Michael Richards may be made to the Alzheimer's Association (https://alz.org).