Condolence: Sheila and I were married on the 2nd of August, 1975. I was in the Navy back then. We lived in Norwich, CT for a time before moving to base housing in Groton, MA. That's where we both learned how to cook and do laundry. We shared our lives together. Sheila was a bank teller before we married so she was always able to find a decent job.

In 1977 we were transferred to Adak, Alaska via Denver, Colorado where I attended an Air Force school. My school schedule let us explore our surroundings and we were able to see the beautiful scenery. It was while we were in Denver that we found out we were going to be parents. We were so VERY excited!!!

After Denver, we drove to Seattle, WA. Crossing Utah was an experience. We crossed the Bonneville Salt Flats. Desolation and heat. When we finally hit civilization in Nevada we found a decent place to stay. It was amazing: there was a slot machine in our room. We set our limits and enjoyed “gambling” Nickel slot machines. LOL! We hit the road again for Seattle where we would drop off the car for shipment to Adak.

Adak is 1200 miles out in the Aleutians. The island is pretty much all tundra grass with the exception of the Adak National Forest, just a small plot of evergreens planted by the Navy. Adak was the most beautiful place for both of us, despite the terrible weather. We literally only had sunshine 10% of the time, standing 30 mph winds, and FREAKY weather. High temp we saw was 62F, lowest was -28F. The wildlife was spectacular: bald eagles on our roof, seals, sea otters and orcas in the bay. We were isolated from civilization, but we thrived.

Our son was born Dec. 17, 1977. And yes, he has an Alaska birth certificate. The military pulled out of the base and thank God we took some good pictures and of course our son.

We flew to Seattle to pick up our car, and begin our second cross country trek. We visited friends in Seattle, Betty And Wilbur Walton who introduced us back into civilization. We made a stop in Napa CA, and another in Texas. That is a LARGE state. Travelling with an infant was very... interesting. But we made it safe and sound back to Groton, CT.

I was assigned to be an instructor at the Submarine school there. We were there for 4 years. We were able to see Sheila's family on a regular basis so our son Andrew got to know Sheila's side of the family.

In 1983, we found out the were were going to be parents again. And we were transferred to Hawaii. Timing is everything! Our daughter was born there on June 13, 1983. You guessed it! She has a Hawaiian birth certificate. We enjoyed Hawaii so much. We were spoiled by the perfect weather there.

In 1986, I retired from the Navy and this started our THIRD cross-country journey. We shipped our car to California early enough so that we could take a one-week vacation in Disneyland. The drive with 2 children was an experience, but mostly a good one. A storm chased us from California to Texas. Along the way we had stopped for a quick lunch, and while we were eating, a local church's bells started playing Christmas carols. This was in early December. A very special moment for all of us.

We finally arrived at Virginia Beach, VA where I had gotten a job with a defense contractor. Sheila accepted a position with a local bank as a teller to start. She has always had an agile mind and rose to a position where she verified loan documents.

We were in Virginia for 12 years. They were very good years. The kids grew and thrived, we acquired 2 rescue dogs who took over the hearts of all of us. In 1998, I got a good job offer in Vermont and moved the family once more.

When the whole family was first here in Vermont we were living in a very small 1 bedroom apartment. That was fun. 2 parents, 2 children and 2 dogs!

We found a really nice home in Jericho and settled into a regular life. Sheila found a job as a temp at Merchants bank. They hired her full time and she rose to the position as an important part of the loan department, eventually becoming the chief reviewer of many multi-million dollar loans. She held this position for 18 years until the bank was sold.

We have had a good life together. Not perfect but in 42 years our love and trust grew. We were fortunate to have each other. I will miss her terribly. We had become “partners in crime”. We raised our children and they both turned out great. We now have wonderful 2 grandchildren.

I miss you Sheila. Watch over your family. You will always be in our hearts and souls.

Condolence: My Condolences for your loss. May you have peace and comfort in knowing that soon death will be removed, along with sickness and sorrow forever. Revelation 21:4

Condolence: The entire staff of A W Rich Funeral Home wishes to express our deepest sympathy to you and your entire family during this difficult time.