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MARVIN AEMILE RICHARDS
Richards obit pic
Marvin Aemile Richards was born March 24, 1929 in Sacramento, California. He passed away May 31, 2020 surrounded by family in his home in Santa Rosa. He was 91.
His parents were Robert James Richards and Marguerite Ann Richards (Gillick). He was the seventh of seven children. His birth mother passed away soon after he was born and he was raised by his aunt Louise “Bona” Iacopi and his grandfather and grandmother Gillick.
He was preceded in death by his parents Robert and Marguerite Richards, Louise Iacopi, his wife, Patricia (Sally) Lee Richards, brothers Emmett, Robert, Clarence, Bert, sisters Kathleen, Elaine, Beverly, and his daughter Della Louise.
He is survived by sisters in law Lou Richards, Dorothy Zimmerman, Peggy Willadsen, and Betty Stowell, his children Marvin Richards, Michael Richards, Patricia Wucherer and Christine Weiss. He is survived by 18 Grandchildren and 19 Great grandchildren.
Marvin grew up in the Sutter Creek/Volcano area and spent lots of time with his grandparents. He went to primary school in Amador County. He moved to Stockton and attended Lodi High School, graduating in 1948.
He loved hunting and fishing. He met the love of his life, Sally while working on the Questo Ranch in Amador County. They got married in 1950 and remained married for 66 years until Sally passed away in 2017.
He was drafted into the army and sent off to battle in the Korean War. He was injured and received the Purple Heart. Soon after he left for Korea, his first son, Marvin, was born. After the war he and his family moved to Stockton. Mike and Pattie were born in Stockton along with daughter, Della Louise who died at birth.
He moved to Oakdale in the mid 50’s and went to work for PG&E. In 1959, Christine was born and in the early 60’s the family moved to the “Richards Ranch”. He continued to work for PG&E until he retired in the 90’s.
He loved farming, had large gardens and enjoyed sheep and cattle. He supplied 4H and FFA kids with sheep for the fairs. He ran the football chains when his oldest son Marvin played in high school. Marvin, a family man, loved to take his family camping for vacation.
His dedication to his church, St. Mary’s in Oakdale, was ongoing. He belonged to the Knights of Columbus for over 60 years, achieving 4th degree. He was Grand Knight, District Deputy, State Youth director, and Chapter President. Marvin worked to raise money for church youth activities. Children were important to him. He volunteered with the UPEC.
Hobbies included woodcutting. He made skilled woodcutters out of his sons and grandsons. Marvin always had a 3-5 year stockpile for his wood-burning fireplace. His dear friend Ed Vargas made sure he always had enough.
Marvin would pass time playing cards. He loved to play rummy and solitaire. He made it a family tradition to play poker every Christmas. Marvin was a skilled player and usually won the most chips. When he would get quiet at the table, you knew you were about to lose big.
Marvin and Sally loved to dance and would shake up the dance floor. Marvin enjoyed riding horses in his youth and revisited horses in his 70’s.
When retired, he joined the RediRovers retirees from PG&E. They would hitch up their 5th wheels and go camping from the coast to the mountains. He was a great gardener as well.
Marvin came to Santa Rosa to finish out his final days living close to his daughter Christine. He loved to go for van rides to Howarth Park and feed the ducks, geese and swans. He enjoyed the view of the lake and the mountains and the men and boys catching fish off the shore. He frequented the drive-thru at Starbucks for his famous Mocha.
He loved Italian raviolis, Hershey kisses, and lemon meringue pie. He always wore his Timex watch and signature brown hat that Sally gave him. His laugh was from the belly and when he started laughing everybody would laugh loud and hard - a lot of ho ho ho’s and hee hee’s.
He loved giving people nicknames like ‘Fred the Frog’, Skeeter, Tiger, Pound Salt and Sissy. He was stern but loving, could cuss with the best of them. He would give you the shirt off his back and be there when you really needed him. Actually Sally was borrowing his tee shirt at Questo’s ranch while he was away and when he returned it was love at first sight.
He knew every back road around town and would make friends everywhere he went. He loved to sit with Sally in the kitchen in their chairs in the corner and solve the world’s problems over coffee. His house was always open unless you were a young suitor wanting to date his daughters. Rumor had it that he had a shotgun waiting. Actually it wasn’t a rumor. “A little rock salt never hurt anybody,” he’d say.
Visitation will be on Thursday, June 11 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Rosary from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Oakdale Memorial Chapel. Graveside Service will be June 12 at 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Oaklawn Memorial Park in Oakdale. Donations can be made to St. Mary’s Catholic Church Oakdale, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Sutter Care at Home, P.O. Box 160045 Sacramento, CA 95816 (Ref-Santa Rosa Hospice), or an organization you are passionate about.

The Oakdale (Calif.) Leader
The Riverbank (Calif.) News
June 10, 2020