November 25, 1948 – May 16, 2024
Thomas Michael “T.R.” Richards, 75, of Park City, Utah, passed away unexpectedly on May 16th, 2024.
Born in Peoria, Illinois to Josephine and Kenneth Richards on November 25th, 1948, T.R. was a lover of music, the outdoors, and adventure, with a vast collection of stories featuring a cast of quirky characters to prove it. A solo cycling trip down the Pacific Coast Highway was equally at home on his calendar as a relaxing vacation on the beaches of Mexico, a week at Burning Man, or a month-long stint captaining a sailboat in the Virgin Islands with his friends (AKA, “The Retirees of the Caribbean”).
After graduating from Illinois State University, Tom joined the United States Air Force, serving during the Vietnam War flying the C-141A out of Norton Air Force Base. Following his time in the Air Force, he was hired by Delta Airlines on May 9th, 1977. This took Tom to Atlanta, where he met and married his former wife, Amy, with whom he relocated to Park City in 1993. He spent his tenure with Delta flying both domestically and internationally before retiring off of the B-777 in September 2004.
He was an avid skier, hiker, biker, and former runner and golfer, which he balanced with an affinity for good bourbon, the occasional cigar, and trips to Sturgis and Bike Week on his Harley. Like clockwork, you could find him on one of Park City’s many trails each morning for his daily “walkabout”, where he greeted everyone and knew all the dogs by name.
As a self-described “old retired guy”, T.R. spent his early retirement growing a ponytail, acquiring an ear piercing, and playing “dance mom” by cheering on his daughter, Sara, at weekend dance competitions and Friday night football games. Sunday Night Movies were a favorite tradition, which always included a giant pizza, a tin of “Dad’s Famous” homemade popcorn, and, most importantly, a chance to educate Sara on “the classics”: The Princess Bride, My Cousin Vinny, The Blues Brothers, and (seasonally) A Christmas Story.
After Sara left for college, he traveled to visit her in Italy and later in Tallahassee, where he became a devoted college football fan (Go Noles!).
Quick to offer a smile and crack a joke, T.R. made friends everywhere he went. He filled his schedule with social events and plenty of trips to visit friends near and far, frequently loading up his Subaru and heading South when the temperatures in Utah dropped. He had recently started spending a few months in Tucson, AZ, each winter.
When he wasn’t traveling, T.R. spent his downtime enjoying views of the Swaner Preserve from his deck, where he followed the comings and goings of the hawks, beavers, moose, and otters – almost always with one of his carefully compiled playlists playing in the background. During the summer season, he was a regular at many of Utah’s outdoor concerts, which combined a few of his favorite things: a cold beverage, good friends, and a great live band.
Tom is survived by his brother Steve (Laura), daughter Sara, former wife and friend Amy Richards, niece Lindsay (Mike) Hallman, Great-niece Maddie, and many friends.
In lieu of flowers, charitable contributions can be made in Tom’s honor to Buffalo Blessings (buffaloblessings.com) or Nuzzles and Co. (nuzzlesandco.org). A celebration of life will be held at O’Shucks White House on Saturday, July 27th between 4 and 7 p.m.