Richard “Richie” Halsted of Atlantic Highlands passed away suddenly at his home on Tuesday October 4th. Born in Jersey City NJ on July 14, 1955, he moved to Atlantic Highlands in 1992. He went to trade school and became an electrician, plumber, air conditioner repairman, and so much more. Richie operated his own business Halsted’s Electrical and Maintenance strictly by word of mouth. He was an outgoing guy who loved to go on cruises with his Mom, sister and brother in law. He loved his two dogs, taking them on walks and visiting neighbors. He will be sorely missed. He is survived by his mother Catherine, sister Janice Halsted and brother in law Carl Muhlhauser. Funeral arrangements handled by Posten McGinley Funeral Home 59 E Lincoln Ave, Atlantic Highlands, NJ 07716 will be Private.
“Just whisper my name in your heart and I will be there”
Richie Halsted has died, a shock to all of us.
I did not know Richie until I met him in response to his advertising an apartment for rent. It was on a quiet street, up 15 steps, and he and his mother lived downstairs. I loved the apartment right away, spacious, a wonderful fenced in back yard, and a mini forest beyond that to keep out the highway noise a block away. I knew several others who were looking to rent the same apartment, so I felt fortunate and happy when he told me I could sign the lease.
Nor did I get to see Richie very much; I suspect he kept friendship separate from business relationships. It didn’t matter. He was nice, he was fair, and he was always calm and pleasant.
I used to see him a few days a week, early in the morning while I was walking to church and he was walking his two dogs, Paige and Penny. They were happy dogs, and adored Richie, albeit a bit feisty at the ends of their leashes he held securely. He always stopped to chat a bit, tell me something new that was going on, and letting me spoil the dogs as much as I wanted to.
I had a minor problem with a window in my apartment. I mentioned it to Richie and he took no time at all to repair it himself. I didn’t know at the time what a wizard and technical guru he was with all kinds of electrical and plumbing things. But it was easy for me then to understand the outstanding reputation he had.
Stop in Jaspan’s Hardware Store and they’ll tell you about Richie, how he can create, repair or replace just about anything in a house or apartment. Talk to anyone in Highlands and they’ll tell you I’m not the only lucky one, Richie has apartments there as well which are a distinct asset to the residential and business area below the hill. See him with the neighbors, all of whom love talking to him, trading stories, talking about what jobs they’re in the middle of, how they can help one another. You know the neighbors love him when you see Gene come over to trim his trees, or Erica and Joe bringing over their dog to cavort with Richie’s two.
Observe how he treated his mom. There simply aren’t many sons like that. But Richie tended to her needs got, her to the physical therapist, put together runners for the steps so his mom had an easy and comfortable means of getting to the vehicle he had specifically for her comfort. When you meet his sister, who with her husband spends so much time making her mom even happier, and you see how both siblings learned kindness and gentleness, to say nothing of patience, from their mom. It was wonderful to hear the tales from their recent cruise together, the proud Mom with her son, her daughter and her son-in-law. Truly loving and caring family.
From the beginning of tomato season, Richie would leave plastic bags of freshly picked tomatoes, two varieties, at my door. And when the grapes grew on the vines around the freshwater pond, I’d find them attached to my doorknob as well. Among all his talents, Richie was also a great gardener. He taught me the benefits of bees, pointing out the apiary of a friend. Or explain the comforting noise I heard at night was from the toads in the pond.
His obituary tells a short version of who Richie Halsted was. But it doesn’t depict all the sadness of friends, the shock of his sudden death, the placid, composed and even imperturbable personality that was Richie.
He will be sorely missed by not only those who knew him well but all the rest of us who feel privileged to have known him even for a short time.
