Murphys, CA…Gary Philip Richardi, Beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother, passed away on October 28th at age 73. He leaves behind a legacy of love, determination and a work ethic matched by no other.

Born to Vivian and John Richardi of Oakland California, the third of 6 siblings, he forged his own path as a modern-day Renaissance man, in the true spirit of his Italian ancestors. One of the many “Straight-A Students” to come out of the 382 60th St. house, he not only excelled in academics, but sports as well- quick to point out that he was the greatest second baseman that St. Augustine’s Catholic School ever had. An altar boy who dabbled as a pharmacy tech and mailroom clerk, he eventually found himself attending Cal State Hayward where he earned his degree in Business. From there, he would begin his career in the garlic industry, earning the moniker of “The Spice Guy.” Through determination and sheer willpower, his life’s work, the Sierra Spice Company, grew from a small operation based out of a barn in Le Grand, California to an extremely successful business in Atwater for nearly 40 years; proud of the fact that when you looked up “spices” in the yellow pages, he was the only one that showed up.

Aside from his extremely successful career, he was a man of many talents: pasta maker extraordinaire, handyman, sports enthusiast, financial wizard, trivia master, etc. Some people know a little bit about a lot of things, but he somehow seemed to know a hell of a lot about everything. However, probably what he will be remembered most for is being the greatest father, brother and family-man there ever was. Without a single selfish bone in his body, he always put his loved ones first, no matter what. His Zen-like approach to teaching important lessons and dealing with the complexities of life made him a beloved figure amongst his family and friends. The impact he had was profound, inspiring everyone in his path to be that much better than they were before, but most importantly, to always be proud of who they were and believe in themselves no matter what the circumstances.

Being the gentle, warm-hearted and loving individual he was, it surprised everyone when much later in life he showed a side of him that had never been seen before- a fighter with the heart of a champion. When he was given his diagnosis of having Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), an extremely rare and terminal degenerative brain disease, he swore he was going to fight it until the very end. He selflessly volunteered to be part of the first clinical trials conducted at UCSF, going through hell and back, knowing quite well that they would not find a cure during his lifetime. When asked why he still volunteered, his answer was simple, “To help find a cure for those who may be diagnosed with PSP in the future.” In the face of extreme adversity, he still always maintained an optimistic outlook, finding the beauty of life in everyday situations. As he taught us all, “Always look at the glass as half full”, which he did until the very end.

He enjoyed a good movie (James Bond in particular), a stiff drink (Crown on the rocks) and the company of his family and friends. Although he relished in surprising his beloved Judy with bouquets of roses, we ask that rather than send flowers, you please instead make a donation to www.psp.org.

Gary is survived by the love of his life- his incredible wife Judy, his 5 children, 7 grandchildren and a group of family and friends spread far and wide. Although all are feeling the heartache of losing someone so special, they will continue to live on in his honor and make the world a better place. His celebration of life ceremony will be held at Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys CA, on Saturday November 20th, at 12:30 PM.