William Richard Gum

1931 - 2017

William Richard "Dick" Gum, 85, of Ocean City, NJ, passed away on February 3, 2017. Formerly of Lansdale, PA, he became a full-time resident of Ocean City in 1999. He and his wife, Patricia Ann (Thompson) Gum, celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on May 19th. Born June 18, 1931 in Philadelphia, he was a son of the late William Andrew Gum, III and the late Olive (Bergey) Gum. Richard graduated from The Hill School and attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He was the owner of Gum Insurance of Lansdale, now Univest Insurance, retiring in 1999. Mr. Gum was a member of St. John Lutheran Church in Ocean City. He was also a member of the Ocean City Yacht Club. Richard was a former member of the Lansdale Jaycees and the North Penn Chamber of Commerce, and served on the board of directors of the North Penn United Way, KenCrest Services, and the former North Penn Hospital. He cherished time with his family and enjoyed time spent sailing along the New England coast with his wife. In addition to his wife, Richard is survived by three daughters, Suzanne Cap and her husband, Demetrius, of Newburyport, MA, Cynthia Oliver and her husband, Kenneth, of Lower Gwynedd, PA, and Allison Hodder and her husband, Mark, of North Haven, ME; and a son, W. Andrew Gum, IV, and his fiancé, Debbie Hollenbach, of Lansdale. He is also survived by seven grandchildren and a great grandson. "Indeed, the cruising of a boat here and there is very much what happens to the soul of man in a larger way. We set out for places which we do not reach, or reach too late; and on the way, there befall us all manner of things which we could never have awaited." - Hillaire Belloc, French-born British poet, historian and essayist. Services will be private for the family. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his memory to St. John Lutheran Church, 1001 Central Avenue, Ocean City, New Jersey 08226. Arrangements are by R. L. Williams, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. of Skippack, PA. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.RLWilliamsFuneralHome.com.