William Jay Richards of Lompoc died on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at the age of 60.

Bill was born August 12, 1947 to William and Betty Richards in Lynwood, California. He was raised and educated in Lakewood, graduating from Lakewood High School in 1965. He attended Long Beach City College.

In 1978 Bill moved to the Santa Ynez Valley and later accepted employment at what is now know as the Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital. There he worked as the plant manager for 14 years.

A resident of Lompoc Since 1995 Bill regularly attended Queen of Angels Catholic Church. He was a member of the California Society for Healthcare Engineering.

Bill is survived by his wife of 12 years Celeste Richards of Lompoc, children, April Gafford of San Francisco, Darold Adkins of Charlotte, North Carolina, Chanda Adkins of Florida, and Jason Williams of North Carolina; mother-in-law, Beatrice Merwin; three grandchildren, Jonathen, Shaleim and Shannel Adkins; sisters, Jeannette Buell of Anaheim Hills, Linda Richards of Long Beach, and Betsy Richards of Oregon; his brother Dan Richards of Oregon; and four nephews, Bob Buell, Ian Richards, Luke Orris and Dakota Buell; two nieces, JoSea Orris and Lace Orris.

The recitation of the rosary will be on Thursday, March 20, 2008, at the San Lorenzo Seminary, 1802 Sky Drive in Santa Ynez. Monsignor Fitzgerald will celebrate a memorial mass at Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Lompoc at 10 a.m. Monday, March 24, 2008. Cremation will be followed by private interment.


Memorial donations may be made to the Lompoc Artificial Kidney Center, 127 West Pine Avenue. Lompoc, CA 93436 or the Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care of Santa Barbara, 222 East Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara 93101. Arrangements are under the direction of the Starbuck-Lind Mortuary.