Nancy E. Richards

Nancy E Richards, age 82, passed away peacefully on March 02, 2026, at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Needham, Massachusetts. Born in Boston, Massachusetts on August 7, 1943, she was the daughter of Patrick and Olive (Davidson) Shea. 

Nancy was raised in West Roxbury and graduated from Roslindale High School in 1961. She worked at a shoe factory before marrying her husband Robert P. Richards, on September 5th, 1964. They moved to Norwood before eventually settling in Walpole. Nancy worked days as teller at Walpole Co-op Bank while her husband Bob worked nights as a chef while raising their two girls, Jennifer and Julie. She eventually started her own business cleaning homes. She retired as a secretary from Cooling Systems in Dedham a couple years after Bob retired. 

The two then began to enjoy their retirement traveling. They frequently attended Navy reunions all over the country. Nancy enjoyed spending time outside .A cat lover, she was passionate about animal rescue, and raised funds annually as part of the Neponset Valley Humane Society "Walk for Animals" in Sharon. She loved going to the ocean; especially Priscilla Beach in Plymouth where her extended family would gather for a cookout every year. 

When not outdoors, Nancy could be found playing solitaire on her computer or watching her favorite tv shows, Wheel of Fortune and MASH. She loved going out to eat, where she could be found often at Finnegans Wake for their baked haddock. 

Nancy found great joy in spending time with her family, especially her beloved grandchildren Ashley and Aaron, whom she helped raise. She loved treating them to ice cream trips, movie nights, and days spent playing in the yard. 

Nancy was the beloved wife of the late Robert P. Richards; the mother of Jennifer Vaillancourt (and her husband Paul) of Greenville, NH and Julie O'Handley of Walpole MA; the grandmother of Ashley and Aaron O’Handley of Cumberland RI; the sister of the late Olive Budd, William Shea, Barbara Sears, Donald Shea, and David Shea. She is also survived by several loving nieces and nephews. 

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend Nancy's visitation on Friday, March 13th, 2026, from 4 to 7 pm in the James H. Delaney & Son Funeral Home, 48 Common Street, Walpole. 

A Funeral Home Service will be held on Saturday, March 14th, 2026, at 10:00 am. Interment will follow at Knollwood Memorial Park in Canton. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Nancy's name may be made to Alzheimer's Association, by mailing a check to 320 Nevada Street, Suite 201, Newton, MA 02460 or by visiting https://www.alz.org/manh, or to the Medfield Animal Shelter, by mailing a check to P.O. Box 271, Medfield, MA 02052 or by visiting https://www.medfieldshelter.com/donate.