Neal Richards, a 42-year-old state Department of Transportation worker killed by a falling tree limb Thursday, left the Forks Police Department in 1998 partially because of the inherent dangers of law enforcement.
His primary reason was that he wanted to spend more time with his family after he became a father, said his mother and others who knew him.
But the risk of working as a police officer also weighed into his decision to seek another career, they said.
“He was trying to think ahead to the future,” said his mother, Whilena Richards, of Forks.
It wasn’t the first time tragedy struck the family.
Richards’ sister, Lynette M. Anderson, was struck by a dump truck and killed in June 2008 on U.S. Highway 101 south of Brinnon.
The 49-year-old Beaver woman was working as a Lakewood Industries flagger, directing trucks around the work site, when she was killed by a truck backing up.
Richards’ brother, Michael, also preceded him in death.
Richards, an 11-year veteran of the Department of Transportation, was born and raised in Forks, and had recently moved to Sequim. He had two sons, Tristin, 12, and Cameron, 10, and was married to Callie Richards.
He was working as a maintenance lead technician to remove a fallen tree from the side of U.S. Highway 101 in Indian Valley, with a crew of five other Transportation employees, when a limb broke off from a nearby tree at about 10:30 a.m., hit him and killed him.
The death about 11 miles west of Port Angeles drew immediate response from Gov. Chris Gregoire and Transportation officials.
Flags on all state property will be flown at half-staff Monday to mark Richards’ death, Gregoire ordered.
Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond said that his death was a tragedy that “reminds us of the dangerous situations many of our employees are faced with every day.”
Richards’ former high school principal, Jim Bennett of Forks, saw Richards’ death as exceptionally tragic since one reason he had left law enforcement was to find a safer job.
“He got out of law enforcement to get away from the danger of it,” Bennett said, “and he ended up unfortunately where he is at now.
“I always thought that he was good at whatever he did.”
Forks Mayor Nedra Reed, who knew Richards personally, said he also had left law enforcement because he sought a more “normal” life.
‘Brave person’
“Neal was a very brave person,” Reed said.
“A lot of the good ones leave due to the time it takes from their family, and the risk they put their families in.”
She added that he was “very invested in his children.”
Reed said he joined the Clallam County sheriff’s cadet program at the age of 14, and joined the Forks Police Department’s reserve officer program early in life.
Whilena Richards said Friday that no funeral arrangements had been arranged and she wished to keep her comments short.
She added: “He was our son and we loved him. He was a very hard worker and well respected in the community.
“We will miss him forever.”
Reed said that members of the Patriot Guard — a national organization which makes appearances at memorial services for fallen soldiers, police and former police to honor them — has contacted city officials to say they would like to participate in Richards’ service.
Along with his mother, sons and wife, Richards also is survived by his father, Gordon, his brothers, Chuck, Lane, Darren and Brian, and his sister, Angela Boyles.
________
Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsula dailynews.com.
