Natalie Thayer Richards, 94, of Mattapoisett, passed away on Monday October 10th after a life very well lived. Born in Weymouth, MA to Howard and Madeline Richards, the family soon moved to Norton, MA where they turned an apple orchard ruined by bad luck and a hard freeze into a celebrated poultry business. Natalie was extremely proud of her Mother and Dad who eventually put down roots in Antassawamock. It was there that she developed her love of sailing and the sea. Natalie graduated from Middlebury College with a teaching degree and went on to teach English in Westwood for a time before the call of the sea beckoned her to relocate to her small cottage on Buzzards Bay. For many years she tutored youngsters in the community there, sharing her love of reading and passion for education with her students. She continued to share her love of learning with the wider community into her later years. One of her greatest joys was volunteering at the South Coast Learning Network in New Bedford. She also volunteered at the Shepherd’s Pantry in Fairhaven. An avid traveler, she made many lifelong friends across the globe. When Natalie wasn’t doing for others, or off on an adventure, she enjoyed gardening, reading, cooking, painting, throwing pottery, weaving baskets and working with stained glass. For years she would get up at first light to go for a swim in Buzzards Bay. She shared her many interests and talents with her nephew and nieces, their children, and her many loving friends in Antassawamock, Mattapoisett and beyond. Her family remembers her for her many gifts and talents, her love of boating, and for showing them all up by catching the biggest fish using only a handline. Natalie is survived by her younger brother, Edward and his wife, Lorraine, of Laconia NH, their four children, and eleven grandnieces and nephews. As is her wish, there will be no formal ceremony but she will be memorialized in a small private celebration of life with her family.
