Obituary of Richard B. Fells Jr. and Sharon Fortuné-Fells

Celebrating the Life and Love of

Richard & Sharon Fells

The Birth of Lovers

On June 20, 1963, Richard Bartholomew Fells, Jr. was born to Ida and Richard Fells, Sr. in Jamaica Queens, N.Y.  He had three siblings, Dennis, Denise, and Khalil, and was raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. From an early age, Richard was artistic and athletic. He played the saxophone and loved playing basketball at Kaiser Park, Coney Island.  On the court, his friends called him “Quiet Storm”. A star basketball player at Lafayette High School, Richard continued to play basketball and was the co-captain at Texas A & M University. Later, Richard earned a Master of Business Administration degree.

On April 4, 1961, Isadora Sharon Fortuné was born to CrecenciaFortuné(PD)and Felix Bando(PD)in Port of Spain, Trinidad. She was the fifth of seven siblings: Michael, Claudette, Jeffery, Cheryl, Davie(PD), and Lancelot. As a young girl, Sharon and her family moved to the United States and lived in Brooklyn, N.Y. Sharon attended Lafayette High School and volunteered at Maimonides Medical Center. She always loved fashion and design. After high school, Sharon studied at Long Island University.

From High School Best Friends

To Husband & Wife

As destiny would have it, the universe conspired, and years later the soulmates reunited. To know Richard & Sharon was to know two people with one heartbeat.  Richard would say that he always knew that she was the one, while Sharon might be a bit blunt and say "UM hum, he was my best friend in high school, but it was the small basketball shorts with the muscular thighs that got me". Richard & Sharon joyfully married on the ocean shores of Jamaica, W.I. on October 19, 1998.

Creating a Home, Raising a Village

For Richard & Sharon, family was core. They created a welcoming, warm, and fun-loving home in Tannersville, PA with their daughters Khadijah and Selima. You were family from the moment you walked in.If it takes a village to raise a child, then their home was the village. Whether family or friends needed a place to stay for the weekend or even for a few years, their home was open and available.  Richard & Sharon’s home was a place where you felt poured into. Richard would make you breakfast, and Sharon would cook dinner. Richard would make you laugh, while Sharon would make you dance.  Their home was the lighthouse to the water, where you could always find your way. What others may consider a sacrifice, for Richard & Sharon, was a welcomed calling.

For over 20 years, Richard worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center;his last role was Technical Operations Manager. Sharon greatly enjoyed her life as a homemaker. Whether it was a three-hour commute to pick up their youngest daughter Selima from college on most weekends because she was homesick, or something as small as spending time shopping with their eldest daughter Khadijah, the two of them were always on the road, and most of the time helping someone else find their path. 

YaYa and PaPa

In 2008, Richard & Sharon, had the first of their three grandchildren; Bryce, Brayden, and Kayla were the loves of their lives. Affectionately known as YaYa and Papa, they were actively involved in every area of their grandchildren’s lives. They never missed a birthday, even if their grandchildren were miles away. Papa would teach them to ride bikes and YaYa would teach them to use the potty.  YaYa, the culinary master, would show them how to cook coconut rice, whereas Papa, the tech lover, would teach them how to use an iPad. YaYa and Papa created a forever imprint on their lives.

A Journey Back to the Ocean…

Richard & Sharon enjoyed life immensely! With family, they would travel to the beach often. Together, they would sit on the oceanfront balcony and watch the waves, then journey for a walk in the sand for hours. Now, their journey will take them back to the water and they will forever be able to roll with the tide, soak up the sun, and inseparably call the ocean their home. 

Note: *PD means preceded in death.