I have no words to describe the sorrow I feel since I learned of Richard‘s passing. I know that this is the time that people will gather and tell stories of his life. There will be stories of something funny that happened along the way or stories about how much money he made on this deal or that deal, so I would like to tell you mine. I was a fatherless boy of 11 years old when I was taken into Richard’s family and it was a time of great trouble and instability in my life. It was Richard that taught me to catch a football. He took his time to work with me on Math and English when I was having trouble. He took me to movies and bought me the first new bike I ever owned. Most of all, I learned many of the values, I have lived by my entire life by, sitting at his table. I have given this a great deal of thought since my mother’s passing and have decided that I would like my epitaph to read like Richard’s. “He was a good, honorable man, who died at the age of 75 after having made a positive difference in someone’s life,” high praise indeed. I will miss him.##imported-begin##Stephen Heckerson##imported-end##