Thomas Riche

Thomas Dominic Riche

May 2, 1916 ~ September 13, 2015

Thomas Dominic Riche passed away on September 13, 2015, at the age of 99. Thomas was preceded by his wife Amelia Laucirica Riche who passed away in 2012. Thomas was also preceded by his brothers Edward Riche, Ogden, UT, Dean Riche, Boise, ID, his sister Eleanore Gannuscia, Salt Lake City, UT, and also by his step brothers John Richie, Red Bluff, CA, Alex Richie, Eagle Point, OR, and his stepsister Flora Rackowitz, Hayward, CA.

Tom Riche is survived by his five children, Julie Young, Santa Barbara, CA, Michael Riche and daughter-in-law Lorena Harline Riche, Ogden, UT, Thomas Riche, Nantucket, MA, Martin Riche, Ogden, UT, and Sam Riche, West Palm Beach, FL. Thomas is also survived by numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Tom was born on May 2, 1916 in Ogden, UT.  His parents were Michael Riche and Elizabeth DePierro who both came to Ogden to join fellow immigrants from the small village of San Pietro Avellana, Isernia Province, Molise/Abruzzi Region, Italy. Thomas’ parents were part of an Italian community significant in the early history of Ogden and surrounding communities.

Tom’s father, Michael Riche, was at one time part owner of the historic Montana Rooms, a hotel on 25th St. Later his parents bought a grocery store from a fellow “Sampietresi” and it became Riche’s Groceteria, a lower 25th St. business they ran for 30 years. Tom spent much of his youth working in the store. Riche’s Groceteria location is now a landmark historic building. By1948 the family moved from downtown Ogden and built Riche’s Drive In on Riverdale Road.

Tom attended St. Joseph’s Grade School and the original OHS located on Madison Ave. He spent two years at the University of Portland and then five years in the Army serving in Hawaii and Guadalcanal. He returned to Utah just before D-Day and began working for the Ogden Union Railway Depot, or as he always referred to it, the O, U, R, and D. Tom retired in 1978 after a lifelong railroad career.

Tom had fond memories of his work as an agent selling tickets in the bustling post-war Ogden Depot. It was while working as a ticketmaster in the grand Ogden train station that he became aware of the echoing, clicking high heels that signaled Amelia’s approach. Amelia, who would soon become his wife, also worked in the Depot. Amelia was from a Basque family and grew up in the same diverse ethnic neighborhood as Tom’s family. In their early life together they saw the comings and goings of families, schools and businesses that once flourished in the working class neighborhoods on Wall Avenue, Grant Avenue, Lincoln Avenue and surrounding neighborhoods. As the city changed, they did too. It was a promising post-war middle class Ogden in which they started their own family.

Returning from the war in 1947, Tom and Amelia bought a newly subdivided lot on Ogden’s East Bench and Tom hand built his own home with the help of his father.  All five children are still proud to call this the family home. They were all raised here and left knowing that nothing in the routine of the house would be different when returning. Tom daily tended some aspect of his well kept home and corner lot until the year before his death. Decades of neighbors waved to him while driving by or stopped to share a few laughs and admire his yard and flowers.

Tom was also a master of simple good cooking. There was nothing like his slowly cooked sauce for rigatoni dinner. Tom loved it when all would gather at the kitchen table, the center of Riche family life for over 60 years, to enjoy his cooking.

Dad gave all of us, his children, an appreciation for the unique environment of the West. When we were young he would pack the car with sleeping bags and cooking equipment and take us to visit the National Parks. Besides many memorable trips to Yellowstone he would take us camping and fishing in the Uinta Mountains and we experienced wilderness sites such as Spirit Lake in the high Uintas. Campfires, pancakes on the grill, tangled fishing line, bulky sleeping bags - nothing was too much effort, for our Dad loved sharing life with his children. Dad would also drive us to Vernal to spend time with our relatives on their ranch. He would drive back to Vernal and pick us up again weeks later after our yearned for annual summer vacation spent riding horses and jumping in hay lofts and gathering eggs with our Auntie. In the winter he put all of us on skis and gave us the love of fresh powder at Snow Basin and Park City. He avidly recorded many of these amazing times in photos that we as a family now gratefully hold dear.

Our dad was vital and never lost his commitment to a healthy, independent and self-sufficient lifestyle. He was handsome and modest. He asked for little and was gracious to all. His dignity spoke for itself.

As Tom’s children we express heartfelt appreciation to both Dr. Nadya Wayment for her longtime family support and to the staff at George E Wahlen Ogden Veterans Retirement Home and Hospice for their sincere caregiving.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, September 18, 2015 at 2 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 514 24th St., Ogden, UT.  Friends may visit family on Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. with Rosary at 7 p.m. at Lindquist’s Ogden Mortuary, 3408 Washington Blvd. Interment, Lindquist's Washington Heights Memorial Park, 4500 Washington Blvd.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the St. Joseph’s Church Building Fund, 514 24th St., Ogden, Utah 84401, in Tom Riche’s name.