Obituary: Richard H. Flores, 68, of West Hartford

From Taylor & Modeen Funeral Home

Richard H. Flores, 68, of West Hartford, husband of Barbara (Brown) Flores, died Sunday, May 27, 2018 at home after a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease. In addition to Barbara, he leaves his son Alexander M. Flores and his wife Annie Cawthon of Colorado, his daughter, Anna E. Flores and her fiancé Daniel Lawrence of Simsbury, three brothers, Fernando, Enrique, and Michael Flores, his sister, Ana Flores, and several nieces and nephews.

Born in Havana, Cuba, the son of the late Hannibal and Raquel (Galbis) Flores-Jenkins, Richard moved to the U.S. following the Cuban revolution with his two brothers; the rest of his family later followed. He graduated from Bloomfield High School and Central Connecticut State University where he earned his B.A. in Education. His career began at Penny High School where he was a teacher and swim coach. He later pursued a career in business, obtained his MBA from the University of Hartford, and joined CIGNA where he spent the remainder of his working life until retirement. Though he left teaching early on, he never lost his passion for learning, education, and connecting with others.

Richard and Barbara married in 1976 and settled in West Hartford to raise a family. He was an All-American Swimmer in college and was instrumental in helping to organize the West Hartford Waves Swim Team. Forever an athlete, he also enjoyed running, biking and kayaking. Later in life he learned to love gardening and cultivated a beautiful garden full of tropical plants. But, above all else, Richard loved spending time with his wife, children and family. His favorite memories came from family vacations and days spent on the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard.

Family and friends will be received on Sunday, June 3, 2018 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Taylor & Modeen Funeral Home, 136 South Main Street, West Hartford, CT. Burial at Mountain View Cemetery, Bloomfield will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research at www.michaeljfox.org.

For more information and to leave online condolences, visit Taylor & Modeen Funeral Home here.

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