William Westapher "Will" Richards

With profound sorrow and deep love, we announce the loss of our beloved son and brother, William Westapher Richards, affectionately known to many as Will, who passed away at the age of 19. William brought immeasurable joy, kindness, big smiles and laughter into our lives and anyone who ever crossed paths with him.

Born to David and Kristin Richards, William was an adored brother to Nathaniel, Eleanor and Josephine. He was a treasured grandson of Bernard and Abby Westapher, David and Patti Richards and Margaret Richards. William held his many aunts, uncles and cousins very close to his heart and they were his foundation in life. He was very lucky to have Amy and Scott Cardona, Elisa and James Baldwin, Mary Richards and John Shakow, Margaret Richards and Jason Schmidt, Thomas Richards, Kristy and John Hickman and Merritt Melker as aunts and uncles. William had so many good times and laughs with his cousins: Joshua, Samuel and Elijah Wischmeyer, JB and Calla Baldwin, Colin and Rebecca Schmidt, Charles Hickman and Carey Patton.

William grew up in Little Silver and was a proud graduate of Red Bank Regional High School. While at RBR, he ran cross country and was on the wrestling team. He was fondly known as "Richie" on the wrestling team. It was with these groups that he found joy and camaraderie. He received numerous awards such as the Jackson Wilcox Leadership Award, the Sportsmanship Award, Most Improved Wrestler Award and was a Co-Captain of the Wrestling team. These awards are a testament to the work ethic, passion, and heart he brought to everything he pursued. He had just completed his freshman year at the University of Pittsburgh where he made close friends that he talked about all the time and we know meant so much to him.

William spent five summers at Promenade Beach Club and worked everywhere from the parking lot to the beach to the lifeguard stand and touched so many lives in those years. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, skiing and fishing were his absolute favorite pastimes. He was truly one with the mountain when he skied and always caught the biggest fish. We affectionately called William the "dog whisperer" because of his natural kindness toward animals and his habit of stopping to greet every dog he saw. William was known for his gentle heart, boundless empathy and unwavering loyalty to his family and friends.

Our family is eternally grateful for all the warmth, prayers and support during this incredibly difficult time. We invite you to join us at a Memorial Mass in his honor on September 20th at 11:00 AM at The Church of the Nativity, Fair Haven, NJ.

To honor his memory and continue his legacy of love and compassion, we kindly request donations be made to the following:

The William Richards Memorial Scholarship which will be presented to a Red Bank Regional Senior who comes from a family of limited resources and is pursuing post-secondary education. To donate, click here. Additionally, visit the Monmouth County SPCA at the link here and dedicate it to William Richards.

Thompson Memorial Home of Red Bank, NJ has been entrusted with the arrangements.