Obituaries

Wilfred Summers Richards, 84

October 04, 2022

Born in a small town in South Africa to his missionary parents, Wilfred Summers Richards lived a full life in devotion to his faith and his family. On October 4, 2022, he passed away in his sleep with his family gathered nearby.

The youngest of 7 kids, Wilfred grew up in missions work and would spend the majority of his youth in South Africa. At age 18, he came back to the States and soon began his theological education at Central Bible College in Springfield, MO. One day while riding his bike on campus, he nearly ran over a young lady from New Jersey. The two of them were together for the next 62 years.

He and his lovely bride Diane settled with her family in Morris County, NJ, where Wilfred worked as an assistant pastor in a small church in Butler. After a few years, he was chosen as the new pastor of Lakehurst, NJ Assembly of God. He would preach and tend to his congregation there for 12 years, all while working full time as a maintenance worker to support his growing family. He moved on to pastor churches in Selbyville DE and Strasburg PA. From Strasburg, he retired from the ministry and settled in the Lancaster area.

Wilfred never climbed Mt Everest nor swam the English Channel. Instead, he faithfully provided for his family and his flock. Without fail, in health and in sickness, Wilfred displayed the quiet strength and love to be there for the people around him. A wonderful husband, father and friend, Wilfred was loved by all and will be sorely missed.

He is survived by his loving wife Diane, their children, David Richards, husband of Bobbi of Cape Cod, MA, Michael Richards, companion of Betsy Bitay, of Lancaster, and Suzanne K. Coleman (née Richards) wife of Denise Coleman of Chicago; grandchildren, Lisa, David, Michael, Andre, Myah, James, Kyle, Adam, and Jennifer; great-grandchildren, Ivan, Alex, Cayden, Lillian, Adrien; siblings, Eunice (née Richards) Sinclair, wife of the late Phil Sinclair of Oregon, and a sister-in-law, Olga Richards of Newfoundland. He was preceded in passing by her siblings, Jonathan Richards, Gordon Richards, Lois Hans and her spouse, Bob, Kenneth Richards, and Anna Richards, as well as a sister-in-law, Ethlyn Richards.

A Funeral Service will be held at 11 AM on Monday, October 10, 2022, at the New Life Church, 1991 Old Philadelphia Pike, Lancaster, PA 17602. Guests are welcome to a viewing at the church from 9:30 AM until the time of the service.

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October 12, 2022

My Eulogy for Dad
I called him Dad. Sometimes Daddy. As a kid, my nickname for him was “Freddy French-Fry.”
I was Dad’s sidekick, his little girl no matter how old I became
Dad loved to tell stories! He had a story for everything. When he felt I was ready to hear this, he told me the significance of my life – the life he dreamt about before he even met mom. He told me more than once he dreamt of me, of a little girl who would be named Susan.
He told me that he was determined to have me. So, after time had passed after the boys (David and Michael), Dad persuaded Mom to go to the doctor and make sure everything was working so that they could conceive me.
Dad was never shy to give TMI (too much information) LOL
Over a decade later, on a trip to visit Dad’s parents in Missouri, we stopped to visit a church in Indiana. Dad had briefly attended the church as a teen. He wanted to sit in the quiet sanctuary with me so he could tell me the story again, and how he envisioned me being here.
Dad was a man of faith. The years he was a minister, I remember him kneeling by his bedside to pray. This impressed upon me the importance of having a personal relationship with God.
Dad was a person of many interests. He loved taking his family to science museums, on camping trips, to Start Wars movies while a minister during a time when the A/G frowned against going to movies. He loved to learn and would be excited to share his knowledge. He was a jack of all trades, able to fix just about anything.
Dad was an emotional person, as well as logical one. He wasn’t afraid to cry. In fact, he showed his ability to be empathic by crying with me when I suffered.
I can think of all of Dad’s personality traits that also drove me crazy, maybe because he and I were allot alike.
But today, I just want to think about the sum of his life. Wilfred Summers Richards was a good man who loved his family and lived his faith.
I am missing Freddy French-Fry. He’s my Daddy. Good bye for now Dad, love your not-so-little “Little Girl.”

Visitation: Monday, October 10, 2022; 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM; New Life Church; 1991 Old Philadelphia Pike; Lancaster, PA 17602
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Services: Monday, October 10, 2022; 11:00 AM; New Life Church; 1991 Old Philadelphia Pike; Lancaster, PA 17602
Map and Directions: Get Maps and Directions >