Richard Franklin Schiavone (1949-2024)
Richard (Dick) Franklin Schiavone, born May 4, 1949, passed to his heavenly home on December 14, 2024. Born in Buffalo, New York, he moved with his family to Beltsville, Maryland at age 3. Richard was one of six children, and attended Nativity Grade School in Washington DC, and Bladensburg High School, in Bladensburg, Maryland.
A rebellious but intelligent youth, he dropped out of high school to pursue his love of all things cars and quickly entered the field of auto mechanics, learning everything he could about cars and their repair and maintenance. He worked at various auto businesses including starting one of his own company Skoda. He always had at least one car that was a classic, that he worked on to perfection. He was kind and generous in gifting those he loved, and often helped his family and friends with their car repairs. During the last 20 plus years of his career he was the stellar Service Manager at Criswell Acura Automotive in Annapolis, Maryland, earning awards for his excellent customer service and attention to detail for every customer he served. He felt a personal responsibility to each and every one of them and provided only the highest level of service, often assisting mechanics in troubleshooting repairs with his extensive knowledge.
Richard was also an excellent self-taught musician, and his love of music and music history rivaled that of his love of automobiles. He was an accomplished guitarist. Later in life, he was excited to qualify and play in the Galax bluegrass music festival in Virginia. He knew everything about Paul McCartney, one of his music idols, and the Beatles and studied early blues and bluegrass artists which were his musical mentors.
Richard could have been a stand-up comic. His keen memory and outrageous sense of humor led him to be a consummate prankster and joke teller. He could lift you up with his funny presentations. He loved to tell stories about his many adventures and those of others and was a true entertainer. He was also an avid reader of all information, up on current events and politics, and loved mystery and sci-fi books. He had a rule to read every day to stay informed and appreciate literature.
Richard was a lover of nature and animals. He and his wife spent time hiking in local parks in their younger years. He always had numerous pets, from several adopted stray cats, beloved companion dogs, and birds. The local birds and other wildlife in his neighborhood will miss his daily feedings.
He enjoyed gardening during his middle years, growing a large garden with his wife at their home in Lusby, and was a big fan of Mexican cuisine, making tamales for Christmas and other gourmet meals. Richard was also a certified waterman for the Chesapeake Bay for some years, a person who is officially licensed to harvest seafood like crabs, oysters; essentially a commercial fisherman with a permit that allows them to work the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, with a good understanding of the ecosystem.
Through all of his accomplishments, Richard had one more dragon to slay in his sixties. He enrolled in a local GED program while commuting and working full time, and aced his GED classes, achieving his high school diploma. He was very proud of that achievement, having completed the circle of his career, before he retired. He then went on to refurbish and show yet another vehicle, his beloved El Camino. Richard’s health declined in the last five years, with difficulties walking from prior work injuries and advancing cardiovascular issues. He will be missed by all who loved and enjoyed his bright soul.
He is preceded in death by his parents, John and Ethel Schiavone, his brothers William and Kenneth Schiavone. He is survived by his son Ken Schiavone, an accomplished stone mason and champion billiards player, his first wife Marie Hunt-Schiavone (mother of Ken), wife Katherine Marie (Katy) Schiavone, and siblings John J. Schiavone Jr. (Susan Marie, deceased), Susan Schiavone-McGinley (Robert), Dennis J. Schiavone (Nancy), along with six special nieces and nephews Kevin, Carrie, William, Paul, Dawn and Dennis Jr.
Richard was laid to rest at George Washington Cemetery in Adelphi, Maryland on December 19, 2024. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in his name to an animal rescue organization or charity of your choice. The family hopes to have a memorial service later in the year.
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