Richard Wayne "Pop" Lacey

Richard Wayne “Pop” Lacey, 82, of Newark, Delaware, died peacefully at his home with family by his side on the morning of Sunday, May 22, 2022. Richard was born in Wilmington, March 21, 1940, the oldest son of James and Beatrice Lacey. After graduating from Brown Vocational High School, in 1957, he joined the U.S. Army, serving at Fort Bragg. Upon honorable discharge, he enrolled in the Air National Guard, serving for 6 years. On June 15, 1963, he married the love of his life, Mary Ann. He and Mary Ann were avid travelers, venturing to Italy, England, Alaska, Hawaii, Bermuda, Cape Cod the Caribbean Islands, his favorite being St. Thomas, Marco Island, Orlando (Disneyworld), and enjoying summers at the Lewes and Bethany beaches. Richard was an active Elk at the 2281 Chapter Elks Lodge in New Castle, DE. He was among the founders of the Holy Family Catholic Church, a steward of his faith. His career years started as a machinist at the DuPont Company. Soon he made his vision a reality as a self-made entrepreneur owning and operating multiple Mister Donut shops and his infamous Mexican Restaurant: El Sombrero; one of Newark’s most loved restaurants. He loved attending the U of D football games as a season ticket holder for over 20 years. He was also a superfan of the Eagles, the Phillies and the Tottenham Hotspurs English Football Club, a loyal fan during every season. Pop also loved his two adopted stray cats, Rosco and Rudy, that visited him every day while he sat with his coffee enjoying the birds. He loved hunting, fishing and crabbing. He loved being Captain of his boats. If you were missing pop, he probably had a fishing pole in his hand. He was at the helm of a boat for crabbing, fishing and river tours. The bay waters at the beach called us to many clamming and crabbing trips. He shared all his tips from the best ‘spots’ and ‘fishing holes’, to fixing the motor on the fly…and always made the day a success. His famous No Big Deal pontoon hosted many relaxing flotilla days on the water. The more the merrier was dad’s generous way of living. There was always a place to add one more, at the table, on the water, at the beach, or on one of our unforgettable Lacey vacations. He was a phenomenal chef, and grill master, always teaching and sharing his ‘best’ recipes, like his fabulous homemade tableside Caesar salad. He was a family man through and through. He adored his wife, ‘Mare’. The sun rose and set on his children, their spouses which he treated like his own, and without a doubt his 9 grandchildren. He was so proud of them, attending all of their accomplishments including school and especially all their sporting events. He loved becoming part of the Winnington family; spreading his wealth of knowledge (oh the stories), gift of machining and building, and love of new brothers and sisters far and wide. Richard is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Mary Ann D. Lacey; his oldest daughter, Denise L. Blackwell (Earl); his son, James J. Lacey (Carole); and his youngest daughter, Sharon L. Swartout (Charlie); and nine grandchildren Megan (Derek), Allison and Christopher Blackwell; Savannah and Katelyn Lacey; and Lacey, Andrew, Reece and Samuel Swartout. Richard loved his family and the visits of his children and grandchildren in his final days gave him great comfort. He was preceded in death by his older sister, Marion Basara (Bruno), brother Harvey Longacre; and his youngest sister Jean Wirt (Peter). A visitation for family and friends will be held from 10 am until 11 am on Friday, May 27, 2022 at Holy Family Catholic Church, 15 Gender Road, Newark, DE, where a Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11 am. Interment will be held privately. In lieu of flowers, donations in Richard’s memory may be made to Holy Family Catholic Church at the address listed above.

Richard Wayne "Pop" Lacey

March 21, 1940 - May 22, 2022