RIP Richard Lee Blosser

In my life, I’ve been lucky enough to have 4 parents. This may not be something that the children of divorce generally say but I can because having them in my life has only made things sweeter and more full of love. When I was 13, both my parents remarried, and just like that, 4 parents. And of course it wasn’t always easy (I mean, I’m sure I was always a joy however, my siblings are a handful!) but the lessons and experiences and love that we’ve shared have far outweighed any difficulty.

On Saturday, April 3rd at 12:22 PM, I lost one of my parents, Richard Lee Blosser. My mom lost her husband of 38 years; my stepbrothers lost their father; my nieces and nephews lost their Grandpap, and the world lost a really, really good man.

These last 6 months have not been the end that anyone could envision. It hasn’t been easy. It wasn’t a peaceful time for Richard nor my mother and for that I’m extra sad. However, Richard had a full and lovely life with so much love and joy and adventure and I would so much rather reflect on that than wallow in his struggles at the end.

I sent a message to my siblings and asked for their thoughts and memories of Richard. Here are just a few:

• Muirsie - this is what he always called me and what I still hear when I think of him. That deep and raspy voice, even now it’s in my head and it makes me smile...and maybe cry a little today.
• Grasshoppers - Richard made the BEST grasshoppers in the world! Sure to make you tipsy (or maybe send you over the edge), sure to keep you cool in a scalding hot tub on a freezing late December night staring at the Tennessee stars; sure to make your morning constitutional colorful (if you know what I mean!).
• Music, music, music! Richard LOVED music. Everything from the Bee Gees to Willie Nelson to Miles Davis to Bob Seeger. And he didn’t just love listening to music. He loved to sing...constantly and much to the embarrassment of his children...real songs, made up songs...didn’t matter what...didn’t matter where...didn’t matter how many times you asked/told him to SHUT IT! That only made him sing louder! And then belly laugh at your mortification.
• 
  Speaking of music, Susan remembers him singing “Sunshine on my shoulders”. I hope he’s singing this right now!
• Speaking of more music, Trip reminded me of the yearly phone calls we all got on our birthday with Mom and Richard each on an extension singing “Happy Birthday”...I think this was the first year I didn’t get one of those in 37 years!
• Speaking of even more music, Maggie remembers them visiting her in New England and driving to Boston Commons with Richard singing every song he could think of with “Maggie” in it...making up a few too.
• I had the joy of going to Merlefest with Mom and Richard...some time in the 90s and enjoying so much new music. Richard was like having your own personal jukebox...that held every song...and sometimes wouldn’t turn off!
• My mom is a great cook but there are certain things that were left to Richard. As Anne reminded me, his banana bread was the best! He made a mean meatloaf and his eggnog was dangerously delicious!
• Richard was one of the smartest people I knew. Watching Jeopardy with him was awe-inspiring! Witnessing he and Mom completing a crossword puzzle together was amazing. Mom would hold the puzzle and read off some random, ridiculously impossible clue like, “An 11-letter word for amazing...blank, blank, blank, n, i, blank blank, blank, i, e, blank blank?” And Richard would blurt out, “MAGNIFICENT!” It was truly magnificent!
• Speaking of games, Madison remembers hilariously playing Uno with Richard and the struggle there because he couldn’t tell green from blue.
• Richard taught Max how to shoot a BB gun and together they would shoot at cans, during, I’m sure, one of the annual summer weeks when Mom and Richard got Max to themselves. (This was also a ritual that started with Madison).
• I could probably go on and on...for pages and pages but I’ll leave off with this last and most precious memory I have of Richard and Mom. I was in a tough spot in my life and Mom and Richard were headed on a camping trip to the Finger Lakes of NY and on to Bar Harbor, Maine...a two week trip. They came to Cincy and spirited me off with them. Together we camped, and drank and laughed and had a rip-roaring time. We toured a ridiculous number of wineries in NY (I think we only made it through 11 of the 21 before we stumbled back to our campground), we visited Cadillac Mountain in Acadia, we ate lobster together and talked and talked and talked...and sang. It was glorious and I cherish that time.
  

Over the next few months while Mom settles things and packs things up it’s going to be tough and sometimes might seem overwhelming. I hope, however, that the 38+ years of memories will help soften the blow along with the love that will always be there along with Richard by her side. And until we all meet again, Godspeed Richard. I hope you’re singing your heart out up there with all those loved ones who have been waiting for you.