William Reid "Bill" Richards, 89, passed away December 22, 2023 at his home on Camano Island. He was an amazing man to his final breath, and exemplified his favorite saying of "Yesterday is over, so spend today making better tomorrows."

He was born June 13, 1934 to Scottish immigrant parents, James and Margaret, in Seattle. Bill was the youngest of 4, he had an older sister Bette and two older brothers, Jim and Jack. He was the first in his family to be born a US citizen and in a hospital. The family moved from Black Diamond to Seattle when he was 7. He attended school and remained in the Seattle area where he raised two sons before he realized his long time dream of moving to Camano Island in 1981.

Bill worked 43 years at the Boeing Company. He fondly referred to it as the best and only job he ever had. He was hired on his 18th birthday which was also the last day of his senior year. His career began as a mechanic. In 1957 he was drafted and spent 2 years at Fort Lewis. Upon his return from the Army Bill began his career in management and worked in manufacturing until his retirement as superintendent in 1995. The highlight of his career was the development of a training program for new hires in 1987 known as The Skills Process Center. Bill's program involved using a converted 727 for a training simulator which housed 9 classrooms and still is used today.

In his personal life Bill attended Camano Chapel and joyfully served as greeter for over 23 years. His hobbies were many and included gardening, photography, woodworking, walking, random acts of kindness, and time spent with family and friends. Bill was the founder of the "Be Safe, Be Visible" safety vest program now run by CLESF, and a former volunteer for the Camano Island Citizen Patrol.

Bill was a loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle, friend, an inspirational mentor, storyteller extraordinaire, and a man of great faith. He was filled with warmth, generosity, compassion, a multitude of talents, intelligence, and a subtle sense of humor.

Bill is survived by his wife Cindy, sons Scott (Amy), Bruce, bonus children Mike (Vicki)Barker, Jamie (Scott)Warren and Matt (Gretchen)Selby and grandchildren, Alexander(Ashlyn), Luca, Teddy, and Theo along with nieces Jackie(Jim) and Gail(Ron).

A celebration of Bill's life will be held at Camano Chapel on Saturday, January 27th at 11am. To honor Bill's memory, consider a random act of kindness or becoming a blood donor to help others. In lieu of flowers a contribution to Camano Chapel, Be Safe Be Visible safety vest program, or a charity of your choice would be appreciated.

Bill will be dearly missed by his family, friends, and all who had the pleasure of knowing him.