Richard (Dick) W. Mead, Sr., 83, of Wallingford passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 7th, 2022 with his family by his side. He was the beloved husband of Mary Lynn Mead (Manley) for 54 wonderful years. Richard was born in New Haven on September 24, 1939 and was the son of the late Kenneth and Rose Mead (Griffiths). Dick was the “Dad” of Richard (Annmarie Mazzocchi) Mead, Jr. and Farrah (David) LaPorte. He was the Grandpa of 5 beautiful grandchildren Timothy, Hayley and Kyle Fiedler, Jake and Ryan Mead. He was the brother of Barbara (George) Coulombe.
Dick was a loving husband, dad, grandpa, friend, mentor and coach. He loved his family and spending time with them. In addition to his love of everyone he crossed paths with, he loved the game of golf. At the age of 12, he put a golf club in his hand and it has never left. His love of golf brought him to be Assistant Pro at both the Tamarac golf club in Greenwich, CT and the Pine Lakes Country Club in Myrtle beach, SC. But his immense passion for the game of golf came to fruition when he got involved with the First Tee of Connecticut. He loved the game of golf but being able to teach it to the young was his purpose. His patience, expertise and kind heart made him the best coach and allowed so many kids to love the game.
At any given opportunity, he was making us laugh. Anyone who knew Dick can attest to his humorous nature. He had an incredible ability to command any room he was in. Making you laugh and cry in the same beat. His unwavering confidence and personality shined through in his speeches. His skills were rooted in his many years taking part in Toastmasters.
When he wasn’t making us laugh, he was working as a hardware salesman and then became the owner of Dick’s Paint Store in Branford, CT. He was the best paint mixer in town but he made an impact in the community with his professional, trustworthy and fun demeanor. He loved helping people and doing the best he could for them.
The visiting hours will be Monday, Dec. 12th from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at The Havens Family North Haven Funeral Home, 36 Washington Avenue. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated in St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Parish at St. Barnabas Church, 44 Washington Avenue, North Haven on Tuesday, Dec. 13th at 10:00. Interment with full military honors will follow in All Saints Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The First Tee of Connecticut, 55 Golf Club Road, Cromwell, CT 06416.
A beautiful tribute to a wonderful man. He was a fun loving cousin with so many talents. Best of all he was fun loving to be around. Rest In Peace dear cousin and Blessings to family and friends. God only chooses the best.🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻‘s
We lived in Branford for 30 years and Dock’s paint store was our go to place for everything. He was so helpful and kind. We were so disappointed when his business closed. God Bless you Dick!
I’m sorry for the loss of this fine man and the hole left in his family. I was one of his Branford customers and remember him well. It was always a pleasure to do business with him and shoot the breeze for a bit. Yes, he was the best paint mixer and always helpful.
He was such a great unforgettable person.
He will be missed so so much
Rest In Peace
Lynn, I’m so sorry to hear of Dick’s passing. My love & prayers are with you and your family.
Love ,
Dee & Joe
Debbie
Sending sincere sympathy to you and your entire family
Coach Richard and I worked together with The First Tee, CT for many years at different locations. His love of the game of golf was immeasurable and his desire to see young players succeed was insurmountable.
Dick will be truly missed by so many students that he taught throughout the years as he made a positive difference in their golf lives and beyond.
I met Dick at the Pure championship at Pebble Beach. Dick was with a young woman Leanehah Moffit and her family. Dick walked almost the whole 36 holes and was all ears as we analyzed her game. The whole family epitomized the great values of the First Tee, which I could tell were his values.
I only had a short experience with Dick, but he will be remembered.
God Bless
Sorry to hear of Dick’s passing. Will miss his sense of humor and golf tales. Enjoyed working with him at Alling. RIP guy