Richard F. Yitts

Richard Francis Yitts, 85, of Seymour, Connecticut, passed away on June 27, 2025. He was a resident of Seymour for 57 years.

Richard was born on September 5, 1939 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He is the son of Frank and Virginia (Hedgeland) Yitts. His younger brothers are (Frank) David Yitts Jr. and Philip Yitts.

Richard graduated from Central High School in Bridgeport in 1957. He voluntarily joined the U.S. Army in 1960 and was a Vietnam Veteran. He served in the U.S. Army Pacific Theater assigned to a MAAG-Vietnam unit stationed in Saigon until he was Honorably Discharged in 1963 with the rank of Specialist, Fourth Class. He was awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal among his decorations. Richard was also a member of the American Legion.

Richard and Rose Marie (Babyak) Yitts were married in December 1963 in a Catholic ceremony at Saint John Nepomucene Church in Bridgeport.

Richard worked in Manufacturing, starting at the Connecticut Web and Buckle Company of Bridgeport prior to his military service, and eventually working as an Injection Molding supervisor for General Electric in Bridgeport and then Bic Corporation in Milford.

Richard was an avid sports enthusiast. He played basketball on the Central High varsity team and also for his Army unit while overseas on active duty. Through the 1970s he played softball for his company teams as well as bowling in various leagues throughout the Bridgeport area. He was one of the first CYO basketball coaches for Good Shepherd Church in Seymour in the early 1970s. Richard coached many softball teams over the years starting with the 1776ers of the Seymour Little League in 1981 for his daughters Jennifer (O’Brien), and Heather (McDaniel) who played on his team. During that time, his 9-to-12-year-old All-Star teams won three consecutive State Little League softball championships from 1984 through 1986, an accomplishment that no team had done previously. Richard’s team also won the New England title in 1984 coaching Jennifer and again in 1985 coaching Heather. He coached other softball teams including the Emmett O’Brien Technical HS varsity softball team, the Stratford Seahawks, and the Express. All of Richard’s five granddaughters, keeping his tradition going, played softball at various levels including league, travel, middle school, varsity high school, and varsity college. His two grandsons, like Richard, played basketball at various levels including league, travel, middle school, varsity high school, and varsity college. Richard loved his children, their spouses, and grandchildren very much and was especially proud of them in academics and sports, attending their ceremonies and games as much as possible.

Richard was a life-long Red Sox fan. He and Rose Marie took a Caribbean Cruise with players of the Red Sox Team in 1989. He got to meet Joe Morgan, Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, Ellis Burks, Dwight Evans, and Mike Greenwell, as well as, play softball with them on beach stops, where he got to pitch to the players and his claim to fame was having struck out Ellis Burks. A claim that Burks would validate later to his girlfriend, who had not attended the game, when they all bumped into one another when touring the island. Burks introduced Richard to her as the guy who had struck him out. Richard was at playoff and World Series games with his son Anthony and daughter-in-law Lisa when the Red Sox won in 2004, 2007, 2013, and 2018. His father, Frank, also a life-long Red Sox fan, never saw the team win a World Series. Richard commented how he saw these games in remembrance of his Dad.

Richard was a diehard UCONN Men’s and Women’s basketball follower. He was blue collar through and through. Among his favorite foods were: freshly brewed coffee every morning, Italian pizza, homemade Italian macaroni pie, hot dogs (with mustard, relish, and sauerkraut), McDonald’s shakes, orange sherbet, Peeps, and other classic candy (Mike and Ike, Charleston Chews, & licorice jelly beans).

Richard is survived by his wife, Rose Marie; brother Philip Yitts; his three children and their spouses: Anthony and Lisa (Robert) Yitts, Jennifer (Yitts) and Ken O’Brien, Heather (Yitts) and Mike McDaniel; and his seven grandchildren: Michelle Yitts, Kristopher O’Brien, Julia Yitts, Shea McDaniel, Sofia Yitts, Jackson O’Brien, and Payton McDaniel.

Richard was predeceased by his parents, Frank and Virginia; and his brother David.

Visitation for family and friends will be held on Thursday, July 3, 2025, from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm at Miller-Macari Family Funeral Home, 260 Bank St. (Rt.67 across from Klarides Village), Seymour. The funeral with military honors is at Mountain Meadows Cemetery, Seymour, with Reverend Thomas Cieslikowski, of Good Shepherd Church directly afterwards.