Robert Henry Richards, III

Robert Henry Richards, III, 83 years old, passed away at his home in Greenville, Delaware on March 11, 2021, surrounded by his family. Robbie was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 26, 1938. His parents were Harriett Kellond Richards and Robert Henry Richards, Jr.

A proud “Hiller” (Tower Hill School, class of 1955), Robbie graduated from Princeton University in 1959 and Harvard Law School in1962. Robbie’s early days as a lawyer focused on public service, and he often regarded his roles as a Delaware state prosecutor and as a judge advocate for the U.S. Navy (serving in Subic Bay and Newport, Rhode Island) as some of the most meaningful aspects of his legal career.

Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, Robbie spent the bulk of his legal career at Richards, Layton, and Finger, joining it in 1967. His commitment to public service never dimmed. Robbie had the privilege of successfully defending a young Black man who was falsely accused of instigating a riot following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Robbie was also was instrumental in expanding the firm’s pro bono program. He retired from the firm and the law in 2008, and cherished the insights shared by his former colleague, Jesse Finkelstein, who wrote admiringly to Robbie: “In a world of boastful screamers and table pounders, you showed me how a good lawyer can also be a good person.”

Robbie had the rare privilege of pursuing his lifelong passion for history as a post-retirement career and was in his element whether teaching ancient Roman history to University of Delaware undergraduates or leading classes of peers in a deep dive analysis of various WWII battles at the Academy of Life Long Learning (now the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute). He was a gifted teacher who learned as much from his students as they learned from him.

Robbie leaves behind his wife of 56 years, Mariana (Wendy) Silliman Richards; children Robert Henry Richards, IV, David Harper Richards, and Edward I. Richards; 7 grandchildren; and two sisters, Jane Richards Roth and Lydia Richards Boyer. Robbie was a member of the Wilmington Club, Wilmington Country Club, and Vicmead Hunt Club, amongst others. Towards the end of his life, Robbie was blessed with the friendship and care of Nate Webb and Annette Kelly-Mayers, to whom the family is extraordinarily grateful. The family requests that donations in lieu of flowers be made in Robbie’s honor to Limen Recovery + Wellness, PO Box 1306, Wilmington, DE 19899. Burial will be private. A memorial service will be held at a later date.