John Richards

John “Jake” Richards, son of the late Gerald and Norrene Richards of Danvers, MA, passed away unexpectedly on August 30, 2026 at his home in Chester, NH. 

John was born in Beverly, MA and grew up in Danvers.  He attended Danvers Public Schools where he was a talented athlete in football, basketball and track.  He then studied Sports Medicine at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, where he once again excelled in track.  For several years John worked as a land surveyor before moving on to study nursing at North Shore Community College.  After becoming a Registered Nurse, John enjoyed a long career in nursing at the Hogan Regional Center in Danvers, where he was loved by the staff and the people they all cared for and supported as a team.  In his private life, John loved and enjoyed his home in Chester, forever working on house and garden improvements.  He was an avid collector of antiques and Americana which he proudly displayed inside and out.  

He cherished his neighbors, supported his community, and loved to participate in special town events, especially the scarecrow competition at Halloween.  John was also a gifted carpenter and woodworker and specialized in creating birdhouses of every shape, size and color; each was a unique work of art.  John was a builder by nature, and he was fascinated by how things were constructed.  Last year a dream came true when he made the trip of his lifetime to France and Italy.  The highlight of that trip was his visit to St. Peter’s  Basilica, where he was amazed to see the magnitude of its grandeur and beauty in person.  More than anything else in his life, however, John relished his role as uncle to his niece, Mary, and later to his great nephew and niece, Robbie and Leila. 

John is survived by his brother, James of Beverly and his wife, Nancy; two sisters, Jeralyn Levasseur of Bradford, MA and Jacqueline Richards of Danvers; his niece, Mary Richards and her husband, Aaron Cohen and their children, Robbie and Leila, of Seattle, WA; and finally, his beloved cats, Henry and Honey.  Loving brother, uncle, neighbor, coworker and friend, John will be missed by many.

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In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Chester Historical Society: 

Chester Historical Society 

PO Box 44

Chester, NH   03036

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