Why Richie Things?

Richard “Richie” Puopolo approached life with a contagious smile and endless energy. This energy was a palpable thing, in his presence there was a feeling that anything was possible. From climbing trees in order to return birds to their nests, to calling the White House for answers to homework questions, to befriending the oldest, crankiest neighbor; nothing was impossible. Richie’s childhood centered around family, with summers full of baseball, surfing, dirt bike riding. His unique approaches to life led his family and friends to label them “Richie Things”.  A helping hand, a check-in call, a smile or joke, a presence when one needed a friend: these were the Richie things woven into the fabric of a close-knit family, and threaded through the many, many friendships that formed a beloved, precious life.

Only those closest to Richie knew of the search for balance caused by living with mental illness, resulting in a whole different set of Richie things. OCD, ADHD, and anxiety led him to try to create, in his own words, a “yin yang” type of balance. A traumatic loss suffered in 2016 and a chronic physical ailment precipitated a spiral into a 2 year battle with prescription drugs followed by a subsequent recovery war. A near-death illness in 2018 led to heart damage, spontaneous fractures, and debilitating physical weakness; all compounded by uncontrollable anxiety. Frustrated with a system in which both physical and mental health services were difficult to access or just not available, Richie struggled to regain his strength and peace. Even then he continued to extend that helping hand to the homeless and drug-addicted; offering a day’s work, a meal, a ride, a listening ear. Richie’s full story is as complex as any other human being, but his story was left incomplete. His life was cut short by illness, both physical and mental, and a system broken through inadequacy and limitations. 

The formation of this scholarship is intended to continue the positive ‘Richie thing” of helping, while offering a chance to make a difference in others’ emotional wars. It is our hope that this contribution will extend beyond the scholarship to help others achieve their balance, creating a legacy of positivity and hope. Everyone deserves to finish their story, this scholarship is the continuation of Richie’s.