Obituary of Duward A Rickards

Mr. Duward A. Rickards, 85, of Columbia, entered into rest on Tuesday, July 7, 2015. He was born in St. Thomas, Jamaica to the late Frank and Hazel Rickards. Mr. Rickards moved to the United States in 1959. With his strong work ethic he served as the maintenance superintendent, plumber and electrician at Chatham Green Apartments, 165 Park Row in lower Manhattan for over 34 years. He is remembered for his love of Cadillac's, fine clothing and all things beautiful. In his youth he served as a lifeguard, a bodybuilder and was very health conscious by taking great care of himself. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by Mrs. Thelma Rickards and granddaughter Janelle A. Rickards-Jimenez. He is survived by his loving children, Jennifer, Rupert, Valrey, Danny, Julian, Yvonne, Carl, Patrice, Debbie, Denise, Sandra, Veronica, Sherrian, Duward Jr., his brother, Frank Rickards of Hamlet, NC; grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews and a host of other relatives and friends. The Rickards family will receive friends for visitation on Saturday July 11, 2015 at 1:00 PM at Thompson Funeral Home at Greenlawn Memorial Park located at 845 Leesburg Road in Columbia, SC followed by a funeral service at 2:00 PM at the funeral home. Burial will follow in Greenlawn Memorial Park. The family will receive friends for a reception following the service in the community room at Thompson Funeral Home at Greenlawn Memorial Park located at 845 Leesburg Road in Columbia, SC. In lieu of flowers, the family request that contributions be made to the Alzheimer's Association at 40 Stoneridge Drive Suite 210, Columbia, SC 29210 in Mr. Rickards' memory.