Clinton Kerry Richards (Coach Richards), 88, currently of Virginia Beach, VA. passed away peacefully with his family on April, 5^th.

Born in Mahanoy City, PA, he was the son of the late Clinton and Fern Jones Richards and brother of Robert J. Richards.   He graduated from Elon College in North Carolina and began his teaching and coaching career at Walter Williams High School in Burlington, NC.  It was during this time that he married the late Sara Dean Shelton Richards and they settled in Danville, VA.

He remained in Danville and Chatham, VA for next 65 years.   During this time he taught and coached at Dan River and Chatham High Schools where he touched so many lives whether in the classroom teaching history and life lessons to his students or on a field and court coaching numerous high school athletes, sharing his knowledge and passion for the games of Football, Baseball and Basketball.   Outside of the Pittsylvania County School system he also volunteered his time coaching Little League and Mickey Mantle Baseball where he continued to touch the lives of many young athletes and was affectionately referred to as “Hookie”

He was inducted into the Elon College Hall of Fame in 1987 and remained active with his Sid Varney Football Alumni for the next 30 years.

He received his master’s in education from the University of Virginia.

Surviving are his wife, Anne Richards of Union Hall, VA daughter, Billie Jean Richards Condit of Raleigh, NC, son and wife, Kerry Richards, Jr and Tresa Richards of Virginia Beach, VA.  He leaves behind 6 grandchildren: Brittany Wade (Cascade, VA), Danyelle Arneson (Virginia Beach), Ashley Brown (Moyock, NC), Skylhr Pritt (Virginia Beach), Rebekah Vaughan (Wake Forest, NC) and Haley Richards (Virginia Beach) and 12 great grandchildren.

His Celebration of Life will be held on 4/27/2024 from 10:30am until 1:30pm at the Chatham Presbyterian Church (128 Main Street).