Richard T. Rawles, a lifelong resident of Portsmouth affectionately known to many as “Cooky,” earned his angel’s wings on November 2, 2025. He was 89.
Born in Portsmouth on February 15, 1936, to Margaret and Clyde Rawles, Richard grew up in the Waterview neighborhood and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School. He was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in Germany from 1963 to 1965 – an experience he said ruined him for camping and cooking on a grill. He spent 44 years as a communications technician with AT&T.
Sailing was one of Richard’s passions, and a sailboat he once owned, the Hampton I, ended up in the collections of The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News. He was also a model train aficionado and constructed an elaborate O-gauge train set at his Pinecroft Lane home. Every week during football season, Richard looked forward to cheering on the Washington Redskins, later the Commanders, and never let their setbacks deflate his optimism.
He spent his retirement years perfecting family recipes for fruitcake, pound cake and pecan pie – a hobby he gladly shared at family and church gatherings. When a baked good turned out especially well, Richard had no problem patting himself on the back: “You’ve outdone yourself, Rawles,” he would say.
Richard was a devoted family man and spent countless hours attending his children’s sporting events as a father, and later as a grandfather attending elementary school performances along with middle and high school band concerts. He sat through the heat, rain and cold weather to watch marching band competitions.
Another way friends and family will warmly remember Richard is through his trademark sayings, among them, “Saturday week,” “Don’t take any wooden nickels,” “See you later, alligator – after a while, crocodile,” and “I’ll put it on your bill.”
Richard is survived by his daughter Margaret Brown and her husband Danny, his son Thomas Rawles, and his daughter Adah Swenson and her husband Ben. He is also survived by four grandchildren: Caroline and Samuel Brown, and Eric and Shane Swenson.
Richard now lies in eternal rest at Church of Our Saviour in Montpelier, Va., where he was interred during a private ceremony.
Please consider making a donation to the American Red Cross in his memory.
