Bringing awareness and helping others in his name while saying goodbye
Recently, many of you may have seen on Toledo's local News and that a man was found deceased on a street downtown. Tragically, that man was our brother, Richard John Kwapich, age 61, born October 12, 1964, of Toledo, Ohio. Rick passed away on November 30, 2025, due to hypothermia caused by homelessness.
My name is Trish, one of his four sisters, and I am creating this fundraiser to give my brother Rick the respectful funeral and memorial he truly deserves. My hope is to take this heartbreaking ending and turn it into something meaningful — using the impact of his story to bring awareness to homelessness and to honor the belief that every person deserves dignity, respect, and a proper farewell.
Rick was known for his stubborn charm and his love for the Miami Dolphins. A life-changing traumatic brain injury and the loss of our father shaped many of the choices he made, leading him to live a very untraditional and difficult lifestyle. Despite the challenges, our family loved him deeply and helped him in every way we could, even when he made it hard.
Homelessness looks different for every person. In Rick’s case, it was influenced by hardship and by his strong sense of independence. He wanted to live life on his own terms, and although we tried to guide him toward stability, he often felt the small steps needed to secure housing weren’t necessary.
Sadly, some of the decisions he made — such as laying down outside in freezing temperatures and discarding other options that were available to him — had catastrophic consequences.
Although he was homeless, Rick received SSI monthly. However, the organization that managed his finances informed me that they cannot release any of his remaining funds to help with burial expenses. This leaves our family fully responsible for the cost of his funeral.
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How Your Support Will Make a Difference
Your generosity will help cover:
- Funeral and burial expenses
- A donation made in Rick’s name to support local outreach efforts — so his story becomes part of helping others in need.
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Thank You
Any contribution — large or small — truly helps. Even sharing this fundraiser makes a meaningful difference. Thank you for taking the time to read about Rick and for helping our family give him the dignity, respect, and peaceful farewell he always deserved.