Neil Richards (9 May 1971 - 9 Feb 2017)

In loving memory of Neil Richards who sadly passed away on 9th February 2017.

Tribute

Neil grew up in Caerphilly; however his big smile and even bigger heart reached many people from many places over the years, and the people at his service and the messages we received were a testament to that. Many people travelled from out of town to be at his service and it meant a lot to our family. Seeing so many loving friends and relatives, as well as all of the thoughtful messages and condolences we received, was a reflection on how Neil lived his life and what type of man he was.

The family have taken great comfort in the many messages and stories that have been sent and shared, some of them we shared at his service, as there was no more fitting way to pay tribute to the kind, friendly, generous and well loved and respected person that Neil was.

Neil worked in many places over the years, sometimes having to spend time away from home. This experience made him more understanding when he met others who were working away from their loved ones. He seemed to instantly become friends with everyone he met. His positive attitude for life and outgoing personality made him loved by everyone who knew him. One of the messages the family have received reads;

‘I am so sorry for your loss. About six years ago I had a job for a few months in South Wales and stayed in Caerphilly during the week. I didn’t know what to expect being an Englishman in the Valleys but I used to pop in the Court House and I met Neil there. He was such a lovely man. He made a stranger feel more than welcome. He introduced me to other people there and always met me with a smile and was generally a lovely man to have known, My job was supposed to last 3 months but I stayed for 15, due in no small part to being made to feel welcome by Neil. I hope you and your family are able to celebrate his life and remember him as the great person he was.’

In his recent years, Neil would often be found attempting to show off his best dance moves in the Court House, whilst putting his hand to DJ-ing, and I am sure there are many of his friends that will have fond memories of that.

Neil was an avid motorsport enthusiast. He grew up learning how to build a car from scratch and applied his talents, along with his natural born enthusiasm for racing to Autograss and the Banger Racing. He would spend hours and hours building cars with his children and preparing the racing track ready for the Banger Racing events that were run by his parents, Gill and Brin. There are lots of friends that he met along the way during this time, and I am sure they would appreciate one of the messages that was left by one of his fellow Racers, which reads;

‘I bet all the Old School Banger Racers Chrissy, Jeff and Neil are having their own Demolition Derby up there.’

Neil would bore his family to tears on a Sunday afternoon when the order of the day would be to cook the Sunday Dinner, watch The Gran Prix, then Top Gear and a pint in the Pont (or Sunday Club) as they called it. I know that there are many of Neil’s Sunday Club friends who have many stories to tell of their adventures from Blackpool to Bilbao; like how well he wore an Elvis Presley costume and belted out some classic Karaoke tunes or how he was the only person who managed to keep his pint upright on a choppy cruise trip whilst everyone else were struggling with their sea legs.

Neil worked harder than most; he had recently set up his own business where he could put his Mechanic skills to good use. Anyone who knew him knew they could call on him and he would be there to help. He would down tools and drive 100 miles in the early hours of the morning to rescue you if you were broken down at the side of the road. He would sit and listen for hours to your troubles without judgement and with kind and comforting words.

However you knew him, there is one thing that connects us all. He touched our hearts. He was there for us at some time or another with his infectious smile and his kindness. We will miss him greatly.