Ben C. Richardson

Lit a candle in memory of Ben C. Richardson

To Lisa, Ben and Gray, I send you my most heart-felt sympathy. I talked with my father last spring before he passed away last June. We were remembering times spent with you and Uncle Ben and Aunt Doris. They were not just family, but good friends too. I know they are all together now and at peace. I’m sure our dads are fishing together on a grand pier. Uncle Ben was such a good man… and as you said, he lived always doing the right thing for the right reason. I’ve talked with my mom about your family as we look through photo books. She doesn’t remember too much, but she remembers Doris and Ben. I will share the news about Ben with her tonight. My love to you all, Joanne Sherrer Weick

There could not have been a finer man than my Dad. He was honest, honorable, dependable, loyal, trustworthy and dedicated. Dedicated to his job while he was on the Rocky Mount Police Force. And dedicated to his family. He loved my mama with all his heart. And he stuck by her in sickness and in health. He cared for her until the day she died. And he honored her memory until the day he died. After her death he went to the cemetery every single day for years. And up until just a few weeks ago when he was unable to go he put his weed eater in the back of his truck and went to the cemetery and kept her plot neat and clean just like he kept his own yard and garden neat and clean. There wasn’t a blade of grass or a weed in his garden. He was the rock foundation of our family. He always did the right thing and he always told us to do the right thing when we needed his advice. He loved his family and that included extended family members. He went to the piano recitals, football games, baseball games, soccer games, dance recitals and plays the great grandchildren were in. He went to all the birthday parties. When we went on vacation he fed the dogs, the cats and the fish for us. Over the last few weeks we all got to spend a lot of time with him. Visiting in the hospital and checking on him when he was home. He was alert, his mind was clear and over the last week of his life we all had our perfect final visit with him although we didn’t know it at the time. Last Friday morning he had had a good night. He got up late after a good night’s sleep. We ate breakfast, he took his medecines, I took his vital signs. Everything was perfect. He asked for his newspaper to read, and he wanted a glass of water to put on his table. He was sitting in his chair and I told him if he needed anything to call me, and I said I’ll talk to you later. And he said OK shug. His life ended just the way he would have wanted it. He was sitting in his recliner, working his crossword puzzle and smoking his pipe. He was at peace and you could tell it. For the rest of my life a day will never go back that I don’t think of my Daddy and miss him. But I know without a doubt that he is in heaven with Mama and he his glad to be there.

Thank you Joanne. Tell your Mom I miss seeing her.