Richard Leonard Fakkel, age 95, passed peacefully from this life on May 17, 2026 at his home in McKinney, Texas under the care of Hospice. He was born on June 23, 1930 in Boston, Massachusetts to Nicholas and Pieternella Fakkel and is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Wendy & Greg Dutile of Pawtucket, Rhode Island; son and daughter-in-law, Douglas and Shana Fakkel of McKinney, Texas; grandchildren: James and Chelsea (Fakkel) Chapman, Peter Fakkel, Chandler Fakkel and Amos and Piper (Fakkel) Waterbury; great-grandchildren: Lillian Chapman, Chloe Chapman and Capri Chapman; nephew Steven Blackler and niece Jill (Blackler) Modiste. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Judith (Eldredge) Fakkel, his sisters, Marie Fakkel and Beverly (Fakkel) Blackler; and parents, Nicholas and Pieternella (Van Gemert) Fakkel.
Richard joined his family nine years after his older sister Marie. He was born with spina bifida and club feet. His mother lovingly massaged his feet and legs daily for the first five years of his life until the feet turned outward and he could walk without a limp. A surgery for “screwed up innards” at one week of age and spina bifida limited young Rich’s ability to run. Consequently, he didn’t develop any athletic prowess but instead was shaped by hard physical exertion. When he was 16 years old, his family purchased a 63 acre farm in Sharon, Massachusetts and Richard, being the only son, handled all of the outside chores: planting and weeding the garden, chopping and hauling wood, and shoveling snow.
Richard’s first job was working for a contractor, Parker Phelps. He was tasked with removing the nails from old lumber and straightening the nails so they could be re-used. He was paid $1 to do this. In high school he had a part time job at the A&P grocery store stocking shelves & bagging groceries. Richard graduated from Sharon High School in 1949. Soon afterwards, he got a job with an electrician and worked for six months, then with a plumber and worked for six months, then with a bricklayer who epitomized the term “hard labor.” During this time Richard did some gardening for an engineer, Edgar Maxim Pierce, who recognized Richard’s hard work and later hired him on as a draftsman for his company. This was the start of Richard’s career. He subsequently worked for Vanderweil Engineers as a plumbing draftsman where he met his future wife Judy, who worked there as a secretary. While they were dating, Richard attended night school at Northeastern University and graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering. He advanced from draftsman to designer to engineer with each company he worked for until he became the chief plumbing engineer at Metcalf and Eddy in Boston where he worked 23 years until he retired at age 63.
Richard married Judith Ann Eldredge on September 6, 1958 and raised two children in Sharon, Massachusetts. Together, Dick and Judy happily pursued their shared interest in mineral collecting and then antiquing. They established Lakeside Antiques in 1974, collecting, restoring and selling from their home in Sharon, Massachusetts for 30 years until they relocated to Texas in 2004 to be near their four grandchildren. In Texas, they continued buying and selling antiques. Their last show was at Fair Park in 2019.
Based on his good moral character, a friend invited him to petition to be a freemason. He joined in 1965 and enjoyed fellowship with his local lodge. He received a “60 years of service” award at a special ceremony last year.
Dick joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1981 after a year-long investigation. He happily sacrificed yard work on Sundays so he could attend church with his family. The majority of his callings were as ward executive secretary and membership clerk. He was an avid home teacher. Judy would accompany him sometimes as the drives could be quite lengthy.
His hobbies were collecting wildflowers, minerals, restoring antiques, and driving all over New England on day trips. In 1982, Richard made a complete east-to-west tour, a cross country sightseeing trip which stopped in Utah so that he could be sealed to his beloved wife in the Salt Lake City temple.
Dick also loved to bake cookies and cakes. Many neighbors and friends were recipients of his baked goods. In his retirement years, he perfected the art of pie making. His apple pies were a hit at every family holiday dinner. Judy used to shake her head in amazement saying, “Who do you think taught him to make them?”
Richard was also an avid reader of detective fiction and enjoyed Rex Stout, Dick Francis and John D Macdonald. He spent a long time commuting to and from Boston and always had a book with him. Dick accompanied Judy to many musical theater productions and liked watching musicals on television, although Perry Mason and Walker, Texas Ranger were the underlying soundtrack to his later years.
Richard was known for being a hard worker, a supportive husband and a generous father and grandfather. He was tireless in his temple service the last ten years of his life.
A funeral service was held at 9 a.m., Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1020 N Lake Forest Dr, McKinney, TX 75071 for family and friends.
The family wishes to thank those who stayed at Richard’s bedside during his final week on earth. They would also like to express their deepest gratitude to the hospice nurses who cared for Richard’s physical needs, keeping him comfortable to the very end.