Richard M. Kress

PORTLAND – Richard M. Kress, 74, of Rockland Avenue, died peacefully on Feb. 7, 2022, at Mercy Hospital.

Rich was born in Manchester, N.H., on Feb. 16, 1947. He was the eldest child of the late Richard G. and Gloria (Dion) Kress. He graduated from Bishop Bradley High School in 1965, then earned his bachelor’s degree from St. Anselm College in 1969 and his master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1971.

On August 14, 1971, he married the love of his life, Sandra A. Fowle, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Needham, Mass.

In the late 1970s, Rich and Sandy moved to Portland, where Rich began his 30-plus-year teaching career in the Portland public schools. He first taught at Lincoln Middle School, but spent most of his career at Deering High School, where he taught Latin and English. At Deering, he also taught summer school, and served as a coach for the boys’ cross country and track teams.

For some people, being a teacher or a coach is a job; for Rich, it was a calling. He truly loved teaching and coaching, and his passion was evident to anyone who ever sat in his classroom or competed on one of his teams.

His enthusiasm in the classroom earned him recognition as Teacher of the Year, and his coaching accomplishments were just as impressive. He coached six state championship teams, winning a state title in all three disciplines — cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track. During the 2000-’01 season, Deering boasted a perfect 24-0 record in the Southwestern Maine Athletic Association. In the 2003-’04 school year, Deering swept all three state championships, and a year earlier, Rich coached a relay team that set a New England record which stood for nine years, and that earned second place at the Nike Indoor National Championships.

That said, whether you were a four-year letterman, an “A” student, or someone just looking to try something new, Rich had a way of reaching people. Quick-witted, with a sneaky sense of humor, he had a twinkle in his eye that never left him. Rich would spend countless hours chatting with students about the classics, discussing training and race strategy with runners, and whatever was on your mind. Never one for the spotlight, or for giving big speeches, he believed in the less glamorous – hard work and doing all the little things to find success.

Rich practiced what he preached. After suffering a severe stroke in the spring of 2012, he battled back, embodying the grit and determination he instilled in others. Helped by the constant love and support of his wife, Sandy, he was able to return home despite odds that were stacked against him.

Outside of teaching and coaching, Rich enjoyed doing crossword puzzles, playing bridge, and was an avid sports fan, planning many of his days around what game was being played, either on one of the local sports fields or on the television. But his greatest love was the time he spent surrounded by his family, especially his sons and grandchildren.

Rich, a longtime communicant of Our Lady of Hope Parish, is survived by, among others, his wife, Sandra Kress, of Portland; his two sons and their spouses, Michael Kress and his wife, Anna, of North Yarmouth, and Stephen Kress and his wife, Sarah, of New York; four grandchildren, Benjamin, Samuel, and Ella Kress of North Yarmouth, and Charlotte Kress of New York; and four siblings, Marilyn Batchelder of Allenstown, N.H., Janice Prewara and her husband, Lawrence, of Goffstown, N.H., James Kress of Manchester, N.H., and Mary Sue Nutt and her husband, Curtis, of Framingham, Mass.

Visiting hours celebrating Rich’s life will be held on Thursday, Feb. 17 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Conroy-Tully Walker South Portland Chapel, 1024 Broadway, South Portland. Prayers will be recited at the Chapel at 10:15 am on Friday, February 18, 2022, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 673 Stevens Avenue, Portland. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery, 1461 Broadway, South Portland.

To view Rich’s memorial page, or to share an online condolence, please visit http://www.ConroyTullyWalker.com