Richard J. Irla

Richard J. “Dick” Irla, 73, of Tiverton, RI, husband of the late Jocelyn (Messier) Irla, passed away on Thursday, May 28, 2020. He was born and raised in Fall River, MA and moved to Tiverton, RI when he and his late wife bought their first home in the 1970s.

An electrical engineer, Richard was employed by the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Newport for the majority of his career where he retired in 2005. He enjoyed mentoring, encouraging both his peers and successors to utilize their strengths and personality traits, and was always proud of their achievements and career advancement.

Richard valued his time with family and loved ones and cared deeply about them. He was dependable, compassionate, and kindhearted. He never skipped a special event and cheered with enthusiasm. He always made time for everyone and offered wisdom and advice without judgment.

An avid outdoorsman, Richard was passionate about hunting, fishing, hiking, and kayaking. If you weren’t part of his excursions, he loved swapping stories and you heard about his eight point buck or the fish that didn’t get away. He was always willing to share his tactics, techniques, and type of equipment but only gave up his secret spots if you were lucky enough to tag along. One of his favorite sayings was: there’s no bad weather, only bad gear.

Richard leaves two children, Peter J. Irla and  Aimee Y. Irla, both of Tiverton, RI; A sister, Theresa Thomson and her husband Leonard of Swansea, MA; and many nieces and nephews.

He was the son of the late Walter C. and Hedy (Monticolo) Irla.

Private arrangements are entrusted to Auclair Funeral Home, Fall River, MA. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to: Buzzards Bay Coalition, 114 Front Street, New Bedford, MA 02740, savebuzzardsbay.org.

Online condolences at AuclairFuneralHome.com.