Richard Craig Watkins, 62 of West Richland, passed away December 24, 2016 at Kadlec Regional Medical Center. He was born on August 23, 1954 in Richland at Kadlec and became a resident of the Tri-City area all of his life.

Richard loved hunting and fishing from an early age and enjoyed hanging out with his older brothers’. He especially enjoyed deep sea fishing with Uncle George Schodt, when he was younger he hung his brother’s fish on a clothes line to display them. He spent a lot of time at the family service station working on his old Willy’s wagon. Richard helped on the family farm by working on cutting and baling hay and worked with the family’s cattle.  He tried raising rabbits until it got too hard to kill them and also tried to raise worms until he realized that all his family and friends were stealing them to go fishing. He then tried his hand at taxidermy and did numerous pheasants and ducks. Richard also became an avid scuba diver in his 20's. 

After attending Auto Mechanics School in Billings MT, he became a full time Master Mechanic at the family service station, Curley’s Texaco in Richland. Richard was able to take over the family business when dad retired and started the U-Haul side of the business and providing a place for anyone who wanted to drop by and bullshit and solve all the worlds’ problems over a free cup of coffee. Richard worked hard every day into his illness, even late into his illness

He is survived by his son,  Ben (Dallas) Watkins; brothers, Mike (Jane) Watkins and Terry (Terra) Watkins; aunty, Ann Watkins; nieces and nephews, Wendy (Charles) Watkins, Amelia (Brandon) Darden, Ryan (Angela) Watkins, Josh (Berlyn) Watkins, Hailey, Heather, Zachary Watkins; great nieces and nephews, Drake, Paxton, Ashley,  Jake, Hazel, Nichole, Ava, Dexter and Hope; and his best friend, Sandy as well as many friends too numerous to list.

Richard was preceded in death by his mother and father Marjorie and H.D. (Curley) Watkins.

The family would like to thank special friends Ann and daughter Mary and all the boys from the station for being there from the beginning to the end.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, January 5, 2017 from 4:00pm-8:00pm at Events at Sunset. The Funeral Service will be held on Friday, January 6, 2017 at 4:00pm at  Redeemer Lutheran in Richland and Graveside Service will be taking place at Sunset Gardens at 3:00 p.m. in Richland.