Richard Muzzy

Richard David Muzzy passed unexpectedly from a cardiac event on February 3, 2022.  The following has been provided by his family.

Richard was born on October 8, 1948, and grew up in Wheaton, IL with his parents, Robert and  Ruth Muzzy and his three siblings Ken, Sue, and Ann.  He attended Wheaton Central High School, graduating in 1966.  He continued his education at Wheaton College, graduating in 1970 with a BA in Sociology.  During his four years at Wheaton College, Richard’s passion for skiing led him to create a ski club; and his love and compassion for others led him into leadership as a counselor at Honey Rock Camp in Three Lakes, WI each summer.

Upon graduation from Wheaton, in his desire to help others, Richard was guided to move to La Junta, CO to help underprivileged people.  As a result of this work, he decided to pursue a career in social work.

Wanting to further his education and have a greater impact for the greater good, Richard attended the University of West Virginia (UWV), and received his MSW Master’s in Social Work in 1974.  After graduating from UWV, he embarked on a cross country road trip, visiting friends and eventually landed in Boston.  It was here that he met many of his life long friends and began his career in social work.

During these early years in Boston, Richard met his future wife, Cheryl Watson, and her two young children, Adria and Keith.  They became a family, and with great love and caring, Richard happily took on his role as a husband and father.  Years later, Richard stood steadfastly beside Cheryl during her battle with cancer, which took her life in 2014.

During his career in social work, Richard quickly advanced to his position as Director of Clinical Services for Catholic Charities in Danvers, MA.  His career with Catholic Charities spanned 32 years, during which time he created a highly successful Responsible Fathers Program.  In addition, Richard maintained his private practice as a mental health counselor.

Retiring in 2016, Richard decided to pursue his lifelong dream of living in a mountain town to ski for an entire winter, choosing Jackson Hole where his daughter Adria and her family lived.  During that winter, he was introduced to the JHMR Mountain Ski Host program.  Richard’s passion for skiing led him to return to Jackson the following year so he could once again to ski all winter as a JHMR Mountain Host.

Richard quickly settled in as a devoted, and beloved Host.  During his first year as a Host, Richard met and fell in love with his fellow Host, Christine Goodman.  They married in November 2019.

Christine would like to share the words of their Host head supervisor, LeeAnn… “Muzzy was the kindest, most patient, most compassionate man.  He approached every day with a smile and had a great sense of humor.  He laughed at himself and laughed alongside us all.  Infectious positivity, yet tempered by a down-to-earth wisdom.  He had a moment for everyone.  Qualities that made him a wonderful Host but an even more incredible Man.  He was a friend to absolutely everyone on the Team.  We are heartbroken.”

Richard is survived by his wife of two years, Christine; his daughter Adria Stines (Jeff), and their two daughters, Chloe and Hailey; son Keith Watson (Claire); Richard’s sister, Sue Teiwes, brother Ken Muzzy (Carol), and sister Ann Kelley (Kevin); and numerous nieces and nephews.  Richard is preceded in death by his parents Robert and Ruth (Pfund) Muzzy.

Christine would like to express her heartfelt gratitude to the JHMR Ski Patrol and Medical staff for their valiant effort to save his life. Christine will host a celebration of Richard’s life on Sunday, Feb. 13, at 5 pm at the Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole.