Henry Joseph Richards, Ph.D., passed away April 19, 2023 peacefully at home, with his children and sister by his side. He is survived by his children Courtney & Laura Richards, his sister Jacqueline Richards, his daughter-in-law Debra Richards, his grandchildren Matthew & Amanda Richards, his sister-in-law Kathleen Richards, eleven nieces & nephews, their spouses and offspring.
Born in Chaguanas, Trinidad & Tobago to Edward and Leanora (Nimblett) Richards, Henry was the second of three siblings. He attended secondary school at The College of St. Phillip and St. James in Chaguanas. In addition, he earned a Higher Certificate from St. Mary’s College.
Henry emigrated to the United States to pursue higher education in 1956. He earned a B.S. in Spanish & English (1959) and an M.A. in Spanish Literature & Latin America Studies from Marquette University (1961), and a Ph.D. in Spanish Literature & Latin American Studies from the University of Minnesota (1964).
It was at the University of Minnesota where Henry met Carol Jean Mason. They married in 1964, and together they raised their son Courtney (b. 1965) and daughter Laura (b. 1969).
Henry began his career in 1964 at University of Toledo (Ohio). In 1965, he moved to Queens College in New York City. In 1967, the family settled near Buffalo, NY, where he accepted a position as an assistant professor at the State University College of New York at Buffalo, where he rose to associate professor.
In 1971, he moved to the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he served in many capacities over the succeeding three decades.
• 1971-1980 Associate Professor of Spanish
• 1971-1976 Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs
• 1973-1974 Acting Chair, Department of Spanish, Italian and Portuguese
• 1980-2000 Full Professor of Spanish
• 1992-1998 Chair, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
• 1999-2000 Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, College of Arts and Sciences
Throughout this time, he traveled extensively often with family to Caribbean Islands, Colombia, Ecuador, México, Perú, Puerto Rico, Spain, and Venezuela.
During his prestigious career, he translated 3 novels, and published numerous scholarly articles, reviews, and interviews with literary figures which appeared in journals such as Afro-Hispanic Review, Cimarrón, Cuadernos Americanos, Hispania, Kentucky Romance Quarterly, Romance Notes, and Word.
Henry encouraged and empowered his graduate students to publish their articles to get them on the path to success. This selfless approach impacted all students who studied with him. He was in close contact with numerous former students who were grateful for the opportunity to publish articles under his tutelage.
Henry retired from academia in 2000, and in 2007 he and Carol relocated to Sugar Hill, Georgia to be near their son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. He and Carol enjoyed their weekly date nights exploring different restaurants and events around suburban Atlanta. Though he was a scholar through & through, he was also known for his quips, puns, and “dad jokes”. He enjoyed watching and singing to music videos by his favorite calypso artists, growing tomatoes in the garden, and simply sitting on the porch on a summer evening. An avid sports fan, he enjoyed soccer, cricket, table tennis and basketball. He also took on the lifelong challenge of learning to play the piano.
Henry had a remarkable propensity for long-lasting friendships–from childhood to adulthood, from the informal to the professional, and from Trinidad to the US and beyond. Even his final days included phone calls, emails and letters from classmates from primary school, secondary school, and university; from his teachers and his students; and more recently from his neighbors in Georgia.
Funeral service will be held Saturday, April 29, 2023 at 2 PM at Hamilton Mill Memorial Chapel.
Hamilton Mill Memorial Chapel 770-945-6924 Share memories of Henry at hamiltonmillchapel.com
