Richard Sleeper ... graduated from Spaulding; at 72

ROLLINSFORD - Richard P. "Rick" Sleeper, 72, died peacefully on June 17, 2025, after a period of declining health.

Born on July 30, 1952, in Dover, New Hampshire, Rick was the son of the late Stephen and Virginia (Bedard) Sleeper.

Richard is survived by his beloved wife of 17 years, Anne (Michaud) Sleeper; his daughter, Sarah Argus and her husband Bal of Palm City, FL; his stepsons, Derek Lapanne and his fiancé Danielle of San Diego, CA, and Adam Leclerc and his wife Megan of St. Paul, MN. He is also survived by his brother, David Sleeper and his wife Janet of Alton, NH; his sisters, Joanne Gillespie of Newark, DE, and Sharon Marcotte and her husband Dan of Wolfeboro, NH; as well as his cherished grandchildren, Christopher, Alexander and much loved step-grandchildren Cameron and Makayla. Richard was also loved by many nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was predeceased by his brother, Stephen Sleeper, and his nephew, Eric Gillespie.
After graduating from Spaulding in 1970, Rick earned degrees from Macintosh College in Electronics and in Computer Systems Management. He was employed at various local businesses including Heidelberg and Moore Business Forms as an Engineering Technician. He retired from the NH DMV as a Licensing Officer. But Rick's proudest accomplishment in life was being a devoted dad to Sarah and grandfather to Christopher and Alex. He mentioned often that he hoped he would be able to take one more trip to Florida to see his precious grandsons.

Rick mentioned that having a paper route with 108 customers when he was a boy taught him discipline, money management, responsibility and people skills. He loved sports and being active; he played baseball with Rochester Little League and loved skiing and skating. He belonged to a bowling league and also joined a golf league. Some of his happiest days were spent at Gunstock and Wildcat in the winters and tenting at Lake Winnipesaukee in the summers. He enjoyed watching sports, especially Boston team playoff games and golf tournaments. He was also an animal lover and had many cherished pets over the years.

Rick had a 36 year close relationship with Bill W. Through this relationship, he came to understand the importance of a life of integrity and service. He soaked up the wisdom offered by those around him with lived experience and found purpose in helping others achieve their fullest potential by delivering messages of hope. Rick expressed that this particular friendship had given him a renewed spirituality in life which manifested in the good he did for others.
Rick was a source of wisdom and stability for his family. He listened non-judgmentally and offered sound advice when asked. His sense of humor was always present, exact, and appropriate. He was great with one liners, and used humor to diffuse anger, sadness, and fear. He knew instinctively when to give advice and when to simply be a caring listener.