Richard A. Gove

EAST LONGMEADOW

Richard A. Gove, age 69, of East Longmeadow, formerly of Holyoke and Springfield, passed away on Friday, May 10, 2019. He was born in Springfield, the son of the late Austin “Red” W. Gove and Mildred D. (Parker) Gove. Rich was a retired production supervisor from Guardair Corporation in Chicopee.  Prior to, he had worked for United Tool and Dye in West Hartford, CT and for more than thirty years held various positions at Smith & Wesson in Springfield. A well-known musician, “BF” was a drummer in several area bands, including Freddie Marion & The Phoenix Four, Back Issue, and Traf. In his earlier years, Richard played softball for the Smith & Wesson team and also enjoyed racquetball. In his retirement, Rich became passionate about photography, with a love for nature and flowers. He was also an avid pool player. Richard is survived by his former wife of 31 years, Pauline Joyce (Boryczka) Gove, their beloved son in which he was so proud, Austin T. Gove and his fiancee Casey O'Connor, all of Holyoke. He also leaves, his sons Rowland Gove of FL, and Richard R. Gove of MD, four grandchildren, one great grandchild, a brother George Gove of Agawam, and several nieces and nephews. Richard will be sadly missed by Stella, his loving dog. Besides his parents, Rich was predeceased by a brother, Roger Gove. A service will be held Saturday, May 18th at 12:30 p.m. in the Barry J. Farrell Funeral Home, 2049 Northampton Street, Holyoke. Burial will be private. Calling hours will be held on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Richard’s name to Dakin Humane Society, 171 Union Street, Springfield MA 01105, U.S. Pain Foundation 670 Newfield St, Suite B, Middletown, CT 06457, or Massachusetts Suicide Prevention Program 250 Washington St, 4th Floor, Boston, MA 02108.

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