Gregory Prestwich Richards of Ridgefield passed away peacefully on Dec. 27, 2023. He was 76.
Editor’s note: Memorial service information has been added to this obituary.
Gregory Richards, 76, passed away on Dec. 27. A memorial service is planned for the spring.
Greg was born on March 5, 1947, in Norwalk to Roland and Beatrice “Betty” Richards, both of Darien, and was raised in Darien on the family’s waterfront property on Five Mile River Road.
After attending New Canaan Country School, he furthered his education at Phillips Andover, where he developed an encyclopedic memory for history, not only recalling battles of the Pacific War but also details of battleships and their admirals on both the U.S. and Japanese sides.
His passion for innovation led him to co-found the first radio station at Phillips Andover, known as WPAA. Advancing to Harvard as a sophomore, Greg concentrated on stock market strategies, graduating cum laude in economics and later completing his Master of Science degree in economics at the University of Connecticut.
In the ’70s and into the ’80s, Greg was a pioneering financial analyst in the emerging technology industry, with close professional relationships with the founders of Intel, Texas Instruments, and other leading semiconductor and computing technology companies. He played a crucial role at GA Saxton, EF Hutton, Morgan Stanley, and Fred Alger Management, where he returned after the tragic events of 9/11 to aid in the firm’s reconstruction. Greg’s insights were regularly featured in online journals.
Greg was an avid sailboat racer from childhood sailing on Long Island Sound. As an adult, Greg furthered his passion for sailing and could be found with friends tacking his way across the waters of Washington state, British Columbia, and Maine.
His enthusiastic curiosity and conversational gifts made him a best friend to both young and old. His creative spirit found expression in diverse endeavors, from the conceptualization of business ventures to in-depth explorations into the potential benefits of supplements and music for enhancing overall health and mood — initiatives geared toward the betterment of others’ lives.
Greg was predeceased by his parents and his brother, Eric Richards. He is survived by his sister-in-law, Cheryle Richards; niece and goddaughter, Caroline Taylor, and her husband, Stuart; niece, Cynthia Brown, and her husband, Preston; grandniece, Vivienne Taylor; godson, Finn Rebassoo; and goddaughter Liisa Rebassoo; all of whom cherished him as a beloved uncle.
Greg’s indelible legacy of a life lived with passion, curiosity, and genuine connection to others is etched in the hearts and minds of those privileged to have shared his journey.
A memorial service is planned for the spring.
Added May 6, 2024:
Friends and family are welcome to attend the memorial service which will be held Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 11 a.m. at The First Congregational Church of Darien, 14 Brookside Road, Darien.
— an obituary (originally published on Darienite.com on Jan. 13) from Lawrence Funeral Home, where online condolences may be left