GCN ARCHIVES (1948-2005) : Robert "Reds' Richards, First Rate Baseball Pitcher; Local Disc Jockey, Record Promoter
Monday, October 17, 2022
Published in the Gloucester City News, May 30, 2002
Robert R. Richards, an outstanding baseball pitcher in his youth, died after a brief illness on May 19, 2002. He was 60 years old.
Reds, as he was known by his friends and family, played on the 1954 Gloucester City Little League All-Star Team. That team was only one win away from competing in the Little League World Series before it lost. Incidentally, Reds received his nickname from his bright red hair.
Mr. Richards continued his success on the pitcher mound for four years at Gloucester Catholic High School. Upon graduation in 1960, the Milwaukee Braves signed him to a major league contract. (The Milwaukee team was called the Braves in 1960). But shortly after signing the contract, he hurt his arm and had to retire from his dream of playing in the “big leagues.”
Reds were sharp-witted and had a gift for gab. His sister Mary Jane Goheen said of Reds, “he had a special personality. When he walked into a room, everyone knew he was there.”
His charm and wit helped the Reds land a career in the record industry. A great dancer, he traveled to all the dances in the area and was on a first-name basis with such DJ radio personalities as Hy Lit, Joe Niagara, and Jerry Blavat. Using those connections, he landed a job with Warner Brothers Promotions as a record industry manager. He also worked as a local disc jockey for 20 years. For the last five years, he has worked as a maintenance worker for the PATCO Equipment Department in Lindenwold.
Raised in Gloucester City, he has resided in Voorhees Township since 1969, where he was president of the Voorhees-Gibbsboro Little League Association. Mr. Richards also founded a baseball team for special kids. “Reds felt they deserved to play baseball too,” Mary Jane said.
Besides his sister and her husband Jay, survivors include his wife of 35 years, Mary V. (nee Grasso); sons Raymond R. Richards (Elizabeth) of Norwalk, CT, Ryan R. Richards (Dana) of Mullica Hill, and Robert R. Richards of Voorhees Township; his mother Henrietta Richards of Gloucester City; brother Ralph R. Richards (Marie) of Berlin Borough. Also survived by four granddaughters, Victoria, Gia, Deven, and Riley.
A Christian burial Mass was celebrated on May 22, 2002, at St. Mary’s R.C. Church, Gloucester City. Friends met at the McCann Funeral Home, 851 Monmouth Street, Gloucester City. The interment was in Oak Grove Cemetery, Hammonton.
RELATED:
Fond Memories of Growing Up in Gloucester City/South Jersey Area and The Geator
1954 Gloucester City Little League Champs Celebrating 60th Anniversary
++++++
EDITOR'S NOTE-(Gloucester City, NJ)(October 2022)--The Cleary family owned the Gloucester City News, Inc. (GCN) for 57 years (1948 up until 2005). Over the next several weeks, we will post articles that appeared in the paper from that period on ClearysNoteBook (CNBNewsnet) (https://www.gloucestercitynews.net).
The Internet became a reality in 1983. For many years, the Internet was mainly used by government groups and scientists, but in 1995, commercial Internet access started to be sold to consumers.
As a result of our effort, the stories we will be publishing will now be available on the World Wide Web.
If you have an obituary or a news article published in the Gloucester City News from the period mentioned that you would like to share with the world, send it to [email protected].