Obituary of Richard Alfonse Muirragui

Richard Alfonse Muirragui passed away October 18, 2019, in Apollo Beach, Florida, at the age of 72. Born in Quito, Ecuador, on January 6, 1947, to Homero Muirragui and Angela Sepe Muirragui, Richard was 8 weeks premature and was subsequently nicknamed "Coco" because his head looked like a coconut. He grew up mostly in Guayaquil, Ecuador, with his parents, his brothers Crichton and Patricio, and his sister Pinky. As a boy, “Coco” was energetic and popular. He always had lots of friends; played soccer, basketball and tennis; and occasionally drove his parents crazy with his adventures. He was so beloved by his family that he was often referred to as the “Rey Sol,” which in English translates to “Shining Sun.” After finishing high school, Richard moved to the United States to attend college, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Purdue University in 1969. He later received his master’s degree in computer science from the same university in 1980. Richard was also drafted into the U.S. Army in 1969, eventually serving in the Signal Corps out of Heidelberg, West Germany. It turned out the Army was the perfect fit for him. Richard became a career military man, also serving in Georgia, Hawaii, West Germany two more times, Brussels, and Virginia. Among his many achievements, Richard jumped out of airplanes as he was “Airborne certified,” led more than a thousand troops as the commander of the 11th Signal Battalion, worked for NATO during the Cold War, and achieved the rank of full-bird Colonel. After retiring from the Army in 1994, Richard worked as a defense contractor for companies including IBM, Loral, Systematic (where he served as president of the U.S. branch), ManTech and Venatore. But any account of Richard’s life would be incomplete without including what he valued most: his family. He’s survived by Linda, his beloved wife of 30 years. He had four daughters, Cindy, Andrea, Danielle and Emily, and one son, Ricky. His sons in law are Gino Kronfle, Robert Davis, Jeremy Stevens and Kip Francis. His daughter in law is Kelly Galuska. He was also a loving grandfather to Johanna, Ginito, Angelina, Luisa, Ally, Emmy, Katrina, Kelvin and Gemma. And that’s not to mention his 13 nieces and nephews, and their families. Richard often hosted family gatherings at his and Linda’s house for holidays and other special occasions, blasting Latin music and serving an endless bounty of food, including ceviche, barbecued ribs and chicken, which were among his specialties. He was his family’s “patriarch,” and relished every moment of it. Richard also had the ability to make his friends feel like family, too. As a result, he was adored by everyone he ever met. He became the center of any room he walked into. He was one of the most generous people one could ever meet, and his door was always open. He’d do more than give someone the proverbial shirt off his back. He’d invite them into his home, make them dinner, pour them a drink and make sure they knew they could stay as long as they wanted. He was never happier than with a house full of people, everyone having a great time, playing music, dancing… while he cooked a huge meal. He had a great sense of humor and loved making people laugh. For his family, Richard was their rock, anchor, North Star, port in the storm, backbone, cheerleader, protector, best friend... and party planner. He loved nothing more than being with his “honey” Lynn, fishing with his brothers, Sunday dinners with his kids and grandkids, telling a good story (many times over), enjoying a nice glass of Scotch and hanging out with his "cigar club." But he loved most of all when he was with his family, which he was in his last days. His absence will leave a huge hole in their hearts and in their lives. They are his proud and grateful legacy. There will never be another like him. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Tampa office of the Make-A-Wish Foundation at 324 North Dale Mabry Highway, Ste 203, Tampa FL 33609, (813) 288-2600, or by visiting their website at https://sfla.wish.org/wishes