My Uncle Richard. 1955-2012

Odd. I was editing a video today and laughing at it and enjoying myself and just got the call from my dad that my Uncle Richard passed away in his sleep last night. Even odder is the fact that I was thinking about him just last night.

My Uncle Richard Smith was my mom's only brother. Born 1955 and resided in Carmi, Ill. He was great at sports and loved to chase the girls and drive hard and fast. In the late 70's, he had an accident which caused injury to his spinal chord. He lived the rest of his life in a wheelchair. But you never knew it cause of how he lived and loved! I was born in 1978 so only knew him from that period on. He lived with my Grandma Smith in the same house he and my mom grew up in on Smith Street (crazy coincidence eh?) Carmi, Ill. When we'd go down from Michigan to Carmi to visit, it was quite boring for me when I was a kid. My parents just wanted to sit around and talk. As a kid, I wanted to play! No one my age really was around. Often we'd stay at my Grandma Smith's house. My Uncle Richard was the coolest dude ever. He sensed my boredom and played every board and card game with me possible. We played Clue, Monopoly, Mille Bornes, Poker, Rummy, Hangman and much more. He'd show me music. He had a stuffed parrot named "Pete" that he swore was real and would talk to me when I wasn't looking. He loved to joke and mess around with people. That was his nature. He was extremely close with all of us sons of his sister. He was just hard not to love!

He loved to booze. He was a hardcore party man to the very end. I wish I coulda hung with him more now that I am older and love booze too! The last few times I saw him we talked about movies, sports and music. He loved music. Especially the bands I love. The Beatles, The Eagles, Bob Dylan, etc. When we'd get together we'd talk music. In fact, the record I closely associate with him is "The Long Run" by The Eagles. Last night I heard that song and thought of him. Wondering how he was doing. We'd write to each other now and then. I got my last letter from him a couple months back. I sent him pics of the kids and gave him updates on me. He loved my work and my comics and always encouraged me to keep going. He was a baseball fanatic. His favorite player of all time was Keith Hernandez of the Mets.

I guess what I take from him the most is the fact that he's one of the few of my southern family who I really got along with. He was a big kid and despite his troubles in life, he lived. He lived hard and fast. And he was one of the most cheery people to be around. Always joking, always reminiscing and telling stories. He had a memory like no one else. And he would do things for you too. Once back in 1983 or so, he ran into a girl whom he went to school with. They were catching up and turns out she was now married to Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker!). He mentioned what a fan his nephew Adam was of Star Wars and she promised him to mail him an autograph for his nephew. She went home and got her husband to send back to my uncle that autograph. I still have it. A nice shot of Jedi Luke saying "To Adam: Best Wishes, Mark Hamill." My uncle Richard did that for me.

He kept me sane back in those days. He influenced me to check out cool bands. He showed me how to live and live well no matter what life throws at you. I appreciate him and who he was, and what he meant to all whom met him. He had great friends and no enemies. And if there is indeed life beyond this life, I am glad to say that he's reunited with his sister and making her laugh once again. I love him and I will miss him greatly.

(If you folks have someone in your life who impacted you in some small way, give em a call. Write em a letter. Tell them what they mean to you. Cause one day you might be too late.)

--T