He was the cherished son of G. Richard Fossa, former Mayor of North Providence, and his late beloved mother, Jean (Porrazzo) Fossa; loving husband to Teri (Holmes) Fossa; father of Cameron Fossa, PGA, and Casondra Fossa of Narragansett, his eldest son Corey Fossa, and his wife Lindsey, as well as a loving grandfather to their two children Camden and Collins of Auburn, Alabama; cherished brother of Lorna Fossa-Moretti and her husband Robert, uncle and godfather to their children Briana and Brandon of Smithfield.
Richard had a deep love of family and athletics. He poured his heart into everything he did. He was the North Kingston High School Athletic Director, where after just three years he turned it into the premier public athletic program in the state. Previously, he served as Athletic Director for Narragansett High School after coaching the Mariner football team for 15 years and then the Mariner baseball team. Richard leaves behind a cherished legacy of student-athletes in both Narragansett and North Kingstown, many of which have gone on to play at the collegiate level.
Richard spent most of his career at Narragansett after starting off as a coach at North Providence High School. He served as head coach of the football team and won the Division IV Super Bowl in 1999 and 2003. His team also won the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Sportsmanship Award in 1999. He won the Providence Gridiron Coach of the Year award four times and was named to the club’s Hall of Fame. He also served as president of the club for seven years, was a past president to the RI High School Football Coaches Association, and a member of the RI Athletic Administrators Association.
In addition to the Providence Gridiron Club Hall of Fame, he was inducted into the North Providence Sports Hall of Fame, the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, and the RI High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
He was a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and received his Master’s of Science Degree in Athletic Administration from Ohio University. He also obtained a Certified Athletic Administrator designation from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.
Richard was also very active in the community as a member of the Narragansett Lion’s Club and the Narragansett Community Athletic Complex Fundraising and Construction Boards, where he succeeded in securing funding for the high school to receive a state-of-the-art multi-sport turf field, track, and lights – a feat that he pursued for years to grant the student-athletes the desirable experience of playing under the lights.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial on Wednesday June 17th at 11 a.m. in St. Augustine Church, 639 Mount Pleasant Avenue, Providence. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at www.stjude.org/donate.
