WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
William Lee Richards, age 40, of Elkhart, Ind., passed away Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010, at his home.
He was born June 6, 1970, in San Diego, a son of Ronald and Karen (Holtz) Richards.
Bill had resided in the Elkhart and Bristol, Ind., area for the past six years.
On March 10, 1992, he married Linda Rhea Soper in LaGrange, Ind. This marriage ended in divorce. He then married Angela Wilson in 1997 in Sarasota, Fla., and this marriage also ended in divorce.
Most of his life was lived in Sturgis and he was a graduate of Sturgis High School with the class of 1988. While a student at Sturgis High School, he participated as a member of the track team and played in the orchestra.
He was employed by Ameri-Kart Company in Bristol. Bill was a veteran of the U.S. Army, earning the rank of E-2.
He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Sturgis and attended Riverside Church in Three Rivers.
He is survived by one son, Coltin Richards of Colon; one daughter, Caitlin Wilson of Sarasota; mother and stepfather, Karen and Dr. Louis Blesch of Sturgis; two brothers, Ronald (Tammy) Richards II of Sturgis and James (Carrie) Richards of Sturgis; three stepbrothers, Andrew (Nancy) Blesch of Zeeland, Charles (Shelley) Blesch of Liberty Center, Ohio, and Mike Blesch of Sturgis; one stepsister, Audrey (Joseph) Freda of Notasulga, Ala.; grandmother, Lorna Holtz of Sturgis; stepgrandmother, Ruth Richards of Wellington, Canada; and several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father, Ronald Richards; grandparents, Charles and Don and Donna Richards.
The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. today at the Hackman Family Funeral Homes Hackman Chapel, 114 S. Nottawa St., Sturgis.
Funeral services celebrating the life of William Richards will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. The Rev. Calvin Kolzow of Trinity Lutheran Church in Sturgis will officiate. A graveside committal will follow the service at Sturgis Memorial Gardens in Sturgis.
Memorial donations to the family would be appreciated for the future needs of Bill’s children c/o: Karen Blesch 67205 N. M-66, Sturgis, MI 49091.
His obituary is also at www.hackmanfamilyfuneralhome.com, where personal messages of support may be left for the family.
