James E.

Rickard

 James Edward Rickard, a devoted husband, father, and loyal friend, passed away on September 18, 2026. Born on September 5, 1939, to James Edward and Nora Moynihan Rickard, James was raised in Fairfield, Connecticut. 

He raised his family in Huntington, where he laid the foundations for a life rich in relationships and family. Throughout his life, he proudly maintained strong, lifelong connections with his childhood friends from the McKinley Grammar School, Little League, and Andrew Warde High School.In 1959, James married his childhood sweetheart, Barbara McDonald, whom he had met in kindergarten. Together, they built a beautiful life and shared a deep, lasting bond of 67 years of marriage. They raised their four children in Huntington, Connecticut. 

James was known for his hospitality, hosting the best parties around, where friends and family gathered to swim, play games and horseback riding at the family home. He created a warm and welcoming home, where they resided until 2000. Seeking the warmth and relaxation of retirement, James and Barbara then relocated to Englewood, Florida, where they enjoyed many wonderful years together until recently settling in Clermont, Florida. 

James spent his entire career in the transportation business and served as co-president of C. Rickard and Sons, his cherished family business. During the 1960s and early 1970s, he also managed his own business, Your Brothers Suspenders Restaurant and Bar on Fairfield Beach. A proud Army veteran and longtime member of Teamsters Union Local 191, he continued to work in transportation until James retired in 2001. James served on active duty in the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1964. He was a lifetime member of the American Legion and of the Port Five Naval Veterans Club. James stayed active through many favorite pastimes. He raised and raced pigeons as a member of the Valley Pigeon Club in Shelton, Connecticut, served as a physical fitness trainer at the Englewood YMCA, and proudly supported his grandchildren and great-grandchildren at their sporting activities. 

James' greatest pride and joy was his family. He is survived by his children: James Edward Rickard III and his wife, Sarah Tandy Rickard, Sherri Rickard Witkowski and her husband, Walter, Deneen Rickard and her late husband, Ronald Marino, and Robert Rickard and his partner, Richardo Brim. He was the adored grandfather of Sarah Rickard DeGiovanni and her husband Matt, Rachel Rickard, James Edward Rickard IV and wife, Cassia, Dylan Witkowski, Jaryd Witkowski and his wife Haley, and Rory Marino Kyriakides and her husband, Demetrious. 

He was the proud great-grandfather of Caydin Greenaway, Lola DeGiovanni, Shay DeGiovanni, Trace Kyriakides, Johnny Kyriakides, and Marylou James Kyriakides. He was Jim and Jimbo to his friends, and Daddy and Pappy to his family. He was always there for you with a joke, a story, and a smile on his face. His legacy of hard work, loyalty, and deep love for his family and friends will live on in the hearts of all who knew him. 

A Mass for James will be held on Saturday, October 17, 2026, 10:00 AM EST, at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Fairfield, Connecticut, and burial and military honors will follow at St. Michael's Cemetery, Stratford, CT.

In lieu of flowers, donations are welcome to be made in James' name to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, https://www.stjude.org/, 501 St. Jude Pl., Memphis, TN 38105.