Richard Wesley Viets

Richard Wesley Viets, 78, of East Windsor, beloved husband of Nancy (Polmatier) Viets, died peacefully on Monday, December 8, 2025, at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford surrounded by his family. Richard was born in Hartford, CT, on May 18, 1947, son of the late Adolph W. Viets Jr. and Anita (Rachek) Viets. Rich grew up in East Granby and graduated from East Granby High School. He went on to attend the University of Miami and Central Connecticut State University. He took a job after college with Combustion Engineering in Windsor. Rich later began a career with the airlines for Allegany which later became U.S. Air, U.S. Airways and then American Airlines. He retired in 2016 after 42 years of service. He married Nancy in 2015 and they moved to Broad Brook. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and spending time with his wife at Hampton Beach, NH. Rich was a sports fan and enjoyed the Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots and NASCAR. A kind, caring, and devoted husband, father, brother, and friend to many, he will be dearly missed. Along with his wife of over 10 years, Nancy, he leaves his children, Allison Thurston and her husband Manny Birriteri of Simsbury, Shannon Slater and her husband Brent of Vernon, and Brian Thurston and his wife Becky of Vernon, his grandson, Sylas Slater of Vernon whom he adored, his sister, Bette Jensen and her husband Ed of East Granby, his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Robert and Dawn Polmatier of Stafford Springs, his nephew, Jonathan Polmatier of ND, his close friends, Michael and Cindy Dillon of Chicopee, MA, and his companions, Socks and Samantha. His family will receive friends on Thursday, December 18, 2025, from 10:30am -12pm at the Samsel & Carmon Funeral Home, 419 Buckland Rd., South Windsor. A prayer service will follow in the funeral home beginning at 12pm. A private burial will take place at Elmwood Cemetery in East Granby in the spring. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the Smilow Cancer Center in memory of Richard Viets, c/o St. Francis Foundation, 95 Woodland St., Second Floor, Hartford, CT 06105. For online condolences please visit www.carmonfuneralhome.com