Richard “Richie” Villagomez
Donation protected
Lost Our Son to Suicide
My name is Angelina Jauregui. It is with a heavy heart that I share this sudden and devastating loss of my son, Richard “Richie” Junior Villagomez, to suicide on April 17th, 2025. He was Deaf and 19 years old. He was the second oldest of 13 siblings in a blended family and loved and cared about all of his brothers and sisters. They enjoyed playing with him, laughing, having fun, and going places together. His loss left a big hole in our hearts, and he is deeply missed.
We began this GoFundMe campaign to help pay for his funeral and burial expenses.
Richie graduated from Highland High School in 2024. While at Highland, Richie loved learning and was in the auto mechanic career training program and Teen Deaf Club. His teachers described him as a great student who was fun to have around. He was a playful and silly kid, and other students enjoyed spending time with him. He was persistent and would not give up. His peers looked up to him as an encourager. He loved crocheting, robotics, art, and building things with his hands. He was responsible, respectful, and loved to make people smile.
After graduating Highland, he attended Bakersfield College, taking classes in English and ASL. Richie was part of the Deaf community, and his peers looked up to him. He accepted others and got the best out of them. He enjoyed building relationships and getting to know other people.
I am hoping to bring light to the suicide epidemic. Richie had his whole life ahead of him but didn’t know how to reach out for help. Such a permanent decision is often made because of a temporary problem and has a lifelong devastating ripple effect on the loved ones left behind. For anyone who needs to hear this, please know you are not alone, you are loved, and don't be afraid to ask for help. There is always hope and brighter days ahead. If you need help, please reach out to the following resources:
This is going to be a tough journey ahead for our entire family. Thank you to everyone who has supported our family through this difficult time.
Organizer and beneficiary
Mayra Chevreuil
Organizer
Bakersfield, CA
Angelina Jauregui
Beneficiary