Richie moved through life like someone who felt it all. He was the kind of person who carried his heart on the outside, where people could see it and feel it and know that it was real. He was drawn to beauty in its quietest forms… a bike ride in the afternoon light, a walk through a local garden, a soft moment with someone he loved. He made space for everyone. His friendships stretched across divides, and his love for people was as wide as it was unconditional.

If there is a moment Richie’s loved one could return to, it would be that last walk in the garden. The way the day held them close. The quiet before the heartbreak. There was something in the air that felt like a warning. If that moment could be rewound, they would hold nothing back. They would speak the truth that now lives forever in their chest:
"I love you so much, and there is nothing that can't be fixed. I will always be here for you."

That is the message that lingers beyond the silence. A promise not undone by time or loss.

Richie loved animals. He loved the outdoors. He loved being free. But more than anything, Richie loved people. He made others feel welcome, feel worthy, feel like they belonged. His spirit lives on in the memories of everyone who was lucky enough to know him. The stories told about him echo with affection, mischief, gentleness, and warmth.

He may have left this world, but he is not gone. Richie lives on in every whispered memory, in every tear that falls when someone speaks his name, and in every person who carries a piece of him forward. He is stitched into the fabric of those who miss him. And in that way, Richie is still here. Always.