GEORGETOWN — Louis Harold Richards, 82, of Georgetown, Maine, formerly of Somersworth, NH, passed peacefully on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015, holding his daughter Debra’s hand, joining his wife, Elaine, his daughter, LuAnn and his two brothers, Walter and Franklin.

Always a military man at heart, Lou followed the footsteps of his two brothers who had joined the service before him and served in the United States Navy for many years, as well as serving after his retirement as a reservist. Proud of his duty on the USS Ticonderoga in the Korean War, he loved to tell stories of his days of service.

One of his favorite passions was to watch old war movies and tell stories about history. He loved the Blue Angels and enjoyed the air shows at Pease as well as the Brunswick Naval Air Station. Lou worked at Pease Air Force Base as a civilian for 25 years before taking a job at General Electric, where he worked for many more years until his actual retirement. Lou was also the name behind Lou’s TV and Repair, which he ran out of his basement while living in Somersworth.

Lou definitely liked to tinker around. His love of working with his hands made him infamous, as he loved hand tooling leather, building models, designing children’s toys and making furniture. Lou was a family man. He took many of his daughter’s friends in like they were his own kids. His home was always open to anyone that needed it. He was a very generous spirit, and thought about others, right up until the day he left this Earth.

Lou liked the community of Georgetown, the town gatherings, and particularly Reid State Park. He enjoyed listening to the surf and watching the birds. Lou was especially proud of his grandchildren, Kristy Erickson of Exeter, NH, Kevin Thibodeau of Georgetown, ME and Lainey Thibodeau of Georgetown, ME, as he colored many pictures, read many stories, and gave them advice about life’s lessons as they ventured through growing up. Lou is the best example of “quiet waters run deep.” He will be missed by many as he had a profound impact on those lives that he touched.

Lou is survived by his daughter, Debra and her husband John Thibodeau of Georgetown, ME; son-in-law Robert Erickson of Rochester, NH; his brother Herbert Richards, of Sarasota, FL; his sister-inlaw Karen Richards, of Scarborough, ME and sister-in-law and brother-in-law Donna and Roger Grondin of Springvale, ME. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews and dear friends.

The family would like to thank the caring staff of Horizons Rehab in Brunswick for the love and care they gave to Lou in the last few weeks of his life, the staff at Mid Coast Hospital, his primary doctors Dr. French and Dr. Keanney for their compassionate and loving care, and the members of the Georgetown Fire Department for their commitment to their community.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Five Islands Baptist Church on Saturday, May 2, 2015, at 11 a.m. with Pastor Barry Moore officiating. Lou will be honored by the Masons at that time, as well as the United States Navy.

In lieu of flowers at Lou’s funeral, the family has decided that his love for gardening needs to live on. We are setting up a fund to establish a garden at two local schools. The purpose will be to instill the love of growing everything green to children. Lou loved to watch children develop an enthusiasm for gardening and enjoyed teaching his children and grandchildren everything he knew about it. The schoolchildren will donate some of the produce to the Bath Food Pantry/Soup Kitchen, which was a service project that Lou participated in since living in Georgetown. His love of service to the community was something he was always proud of. His spirit will live on!

To share your thoughts and condolences with the family, please visit www.desmondfuneralhomes.com.