William Richards Obituary

William "Billy" R. Richards Jr, age 46, originally from Canton, Illinois, died July 11, 2025 at his home in Reno, Nevada. He was born June 11, 1979, in Peoria, Illinois.
Billy is survived by his beautiful daughter, LilyAnn. He is also survived by his parents William (Beth) Richards Sr and Patricia (Leo) Bobell; his sisters Lisa (Gavish) Patel and Tricia Diers; three step-siblings, and his nieces and nephews Jacob, Gavin, Jocelyn, and Mira; maternal Grandmother JoAnn Mann, several aunts, uncles, and cousins; and his beloved dog, Quito.
Billy graduated from Cuba High School in 1997. He was very athletic. Billy played park district and travel baseball. His favorite position to play was catcher, and he was great at it. He also played basketball and was a member of the Can Y Cuda swim team in his youth.
Billy lived an adventurous lifestyle. He loved the Grateful Dead and their music. He attended hundreds of tribute concerts with friends throughout the years, traveling across the country to hear his favorite songs. He also loved to cook and was quite a good chef. Most recently, Billy's childhood passion for baseball influenced his adult life as he was an umpire for the Reno National Little League, gaining the respect of colleagues, coaches, and players along the West Coast. He was an avid St Louis Cardinals and North Carolina Tar Heels fan.
Billy was always the life of the party, a valued friend, and a mentor to many on the baseball field. His infectious laugh and smile will be remembered forever. His family asks that memorials in Billy's honor be left to the Humane Society in your area or a local little league program to honor his love of sports and animals.
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