Richard Neil Dwyer

Richard Neil Dwyer, 77, of Sandwich, MA, passed away on August 23, 2024, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was born to Russel and Dorothy Dwyer on October 20, 1946, in Boston, MA. He lived a life marked by curiosity, passion, and love of family. He proudly served his country in the Air Force, followed by an air traffic controller career.

Richard’s passions ranged from meticulously maintaining his landscaped yard to playing endless tennis against family and friends, his love of a cold IPA (in a glass!), supporting his favorite Boston sports teams, his love of blues music, and, for those who know him well…..perhaps being the world’s slowest eater! As a true Renaissance man, he has been dubbed at times “the most interesting man in the world.”

He also maintained a competitive streak, perhaps best reflected by his 10+ year stretch of running 5 miles a day without missing a single day, regardless of harsh winter conditions. He might take equal pride in knowing that his grandson, Elijah, whom he had taught how to play tennis, finally bested him in a match in what turned out to be the final time they ever got to play together only weeks before his passing.

Richard is survived by his wife, Judith Dwyer of Sandwich, MA; his daughter Jill and her husband, Bradford Wales and grandson, Elijah Vazquez of St. Petersburg, FL; stepdaughter, Katelyn and her husband Damon Carlson; and grandchildren David and Caroline of Norwood, MA; stepson Joseph and his wife Caitlin Starr and grandchildren Madelyn and Isabella of Medway, MA; stepson Peter Starr and his partner Misty West of Los Angeles, CA; brother Robert Dwyer and his partner Mary Hogue of Woodsville, NH and a wide circle of friends who will miss him dearly.

Richard is predeceased by his father, Russel Dwyer (1984); his mother, Dorothy Dwyer (2014); his late wife, Adele Dwyer (1999); his son, Joseph Dwyer (2003); and his brother Alan Dwyer (2009).

Family and friends are invited to attend a burial at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne, MA, on Monday, September 9, 2024, at 12:30 PM. Instead of flowers, the family requests donations to the McCarthy Care Center in Sandwich, MA, as they took excellent care of Richard during his final days.

His legacy will live on in the lives he touched and the love he shared.