James Gerard Richard

Mr. James Gerard Richard, 59, of Raleigh, North Carolina, peacefully passed away on January 14, 2019. He was the son of Joan Lucille Richard née Ferrarini and the late Alfred Thomas Richard. Jim was born July 5, 1959, in New York, New York. Jim graduated St. Philip Neri elementary school in The Bronx. While there, he was a Cub Scout and then a Boy Scout and went to the level of Life Scout until he discovered music which changed his direction. He attended two high schools in NY and Westhill High School in Stamford, CT. Traditional educators could not keep him engaged; he had absorbed most of the texts on his own and was bored in class. Jim left high school and joined the Navy in 1976. After a brief service in the Navy, Jim earned his GED in 1977. After several career attempts, Jim found his calling at Waldenbooks’ headquarters in Stamford, CT, where he first began working with computers and taught himself several programming languages. This led to a lifetime career working with computers; both mainframe and servers. Jim’s career ended last January when he suffered a major stroke. He was working at a local company in Morrisville named Jaggaer. In 1998, Jim’s pride and joy was born; his daughter, Shannon Reneè Richard. Jim was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer that had metastasized to the brain in 2013. During his fight with cancer, which he did beat, the bond between father and daughter became stronger than ever. Music was a lifetime passion for Jim. While in his teens, he taught himself to play guitar. In his 20’s, he enjoyed performing gigs with friends at establishments in Stamford, CT, where he was living at the time. He was an avid reader and enjoyed going to the movies every weekend with Shannon. Jim was preceded in death by his father, Alfred T. Richard, at the time, of Raleigh, NC. He is survived by his daughter, Shannon Richard; his mother, Joan L. Richard; and his sister, Eileen (Bill) Taht, all of Raleigh, North Carolina. He is also survived by his aunt, Eileen Cusick; cousins, Karen (Greg) Campbell, Bob (Sue) Cusick, Cathy (Phil) Monahan, all their children, as well as other cousins and friends scattered throughout the country. Family and friends are invited to attend A Memorial service at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, January 18, 2019 at Renaissance Funeral Home, 7615 Six Forks Road, Raleigh, NC 27615. There will be a gathering with refreshments immediately after the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Jim to the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association, or Liberty Hospice Services. We are so thankful to all the staff at Capital Nursing & Rehabilitation Center and Liberty Hospice for the gentle care they provided Jim, keeping him comfortable in his final months.

James Gerard Richard

July 5, 1959 - January 14, 2019