Rich "Fluffy" Widener
Richard Dean Widener
AKA Fluffy
04 May 1951 - 04 Mar 2016
Clubs & Associations
Chesapeake Squares
Running Bear Squares
Quick Facts
- Rich used to belong to a gay bowling league and he had a shirt that said "I'm not fat, I'm fluffy." Mike Foirne (spelling?) a former square dancer was also on the bowling team. Mike used to call him "Fluffy", he liked the nickname and kept it.
Obituary
This was one of the notices that went out ... (his father has since died, he died about a week after Rich passed away)
Rich Widener passed away on Friday March 4, 2016. Rich is survived by his partner, Wilbur Frasier and his father Roy Widener. He is predeceased by his mother Jean Widener. Rich was a longtime member of Chesapeake Squares, The Gay Men’s Chorus, and MCC. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Donations in Rich’s memory can be made to the SPCA of Anne Arundel County.
Remembrances
Time has a way of changing your perspective on things.
Fluffy was a very dear friend and I owe a lot to him. He talked me into:
Going on to C-1 and C-2; and
Multiple theater subscriptions
He was a very unique person in my life because he always knew what to say. We would talk, and talk, and talk. And he would have these pearls of wisdom that would give me these ah-ha moments … constantly.
If I wanted to share something good or bad, needed advice, or anything in between, I could always talk to Fluffy. In fact, when we first started going to C-1 in 1994, Fluffy would always drive because he loooooooooooooved to drive.
I can remember more than a few times when we would drive all the way to Calverton and we’d have such an intense conversation that we would stop at the Giant to finish talking and we’d talk so long that we’d miss the dance. It didn’t happen often, but it happened.
Since 1990, I always felt like he:
Cared very deeply,
Listened to me with his heart; and
If I ever needed something, he’d do what he could
Friends like that are few and far between. If you ever have them, tell them and show them that you love them as often as you can because friendship and love like this is precious. And my love for Rich is something that I’ll cherish and carry with me for the rest of my life. Heaven has another square dance angel.
— Louie Blank [1]
Memorial Panel
