Richard Enrico Mazzone of Fearrington Village, Pittsboro, N.C. died on March 19, 2010. Richard left behind, Carla, his wife of 51 years; his sons, Marc and Erik; his daughter-in-law, Christine; his sisters, Theresa Sardella and Angie Lacenere; many nieces and nephews; and countless friends. We will all miss him dearly.
In his 73 years, Richard was many things to many people: dedicated teacher to generations of students; devoted husband, father, brother and uncle; selfless peacemaker; grassroots environmentalist; innovative college administrator; encouraging mentor; Korean War veteran; and cherished friend. He was, to paraphrase Whitman, large, and he contained multitudes. He was a man both of science and faith, a seeming incongruity that was reconciled in Richard’s highly attuned and personal belief system. He was a regular parishioner at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Chapel Hill, N.C., but found some of his most spiritual moments on long walks around the back roads of Fearrington.
He was born in Middletown, N.Y. on Nov. 14, 1936 and was a product of Middletown High School and Orange County Community College – two institutions where he would later return to enjoy his long career as a celebrated teacher. He met his beloved wife, Carla, when he walked into the wrong classroom one day at Orange Community College in 1957 and the two became, enduringly if not instantly, each other’s soul mate for 53 years. They graduated from Harpur College at Binghamton University and Richard went on to earn a master’s degree from R.P.I. and do additional graduate work at Columbia and New York universities. Richard soon returned home to Middletown to begin what would be the twin poles of his life’s work: teaching and raising a family.
Richard’s life was one of energy and service, a truth all the more extraordinary in light of a debilitating, lifelong illness that struck him when he was only 26 and the father of a new son. Never one to allow adversity to triumph, Richard continued to work, learn, grow and support his family despite the ongoing challenge of his disease.
To truly understand Richard, though, you need to know that he had a second birthday on Dec. 18, 1996. Richard was a man who worked hard for everything he ever received, with one exception: a pair of strong, new lungs transplanted to him in an arduous operation on a cold winter night in New York City. Richard thought of his new lungs as a gift. A disciplined man by nature, he worked assiduously to honor the gift of his transplant, physically, spiritually and in his community. After 35 years of diminished physical capacity due to sarcoidosis, the lung transplant gave Richard the opportunity to live the vigorous, active life he had always wanted – an opportunity he seized with joy and tenacity. Soon after his transplant, Richard wore out his first pair of walking shoes: a happy milestone reflecting how much his new lungs changed his life and how hard he worked to honor the sacrifice they represented.
In his retirement, he became an avid member of his local wellness center, where he relished his fitness classes and friendships in equal measure. Those who came to know the adversity Richard sometimes faced but never complained about in his life post-transplant saw him as his family and close friends did: as an inspiration who never took life’s riches or challenges for granted.
There is more to Richard than can ever be conveyed in newsprint and column inches, but we hope that for a moment you have seen a glimpse of Richard as we have: as a privilege and honor to know and love; as a beloved husband, father, brother and uncle; as a best friend; as a gifted teacher; as a good man.
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