What We’ll Carry Forward: A Sibling Reflection on Love, Laughter, and Legacy of Daryl Richardson

Some people leave behind a soundtrack. Daryl left behind a symphony — woven from laughter, love, and every life he touched. In the days since my cousin Daryl passed, our family has sat with countless memories — some tender, some hilarious, all part of the man we loved so deeply. In the first days of grieving, I wrote a personal reflection to hold my own sorrow. But something gently nudged me to see that Daryl’s story was bigger than my memories alone. I wanted to create space for others to process their own thoughts and feelings, to honor him through storytelling, and to encourage gentle healing during this time of grief. So I invited voices from the community who had embraced him so fully in Nevada — staff and students whose lives he changed — to share their reflections.

Steve, Kristina, Shamika and Daryl (2020)

Now, as I bring this series to a close, I’m gathering the voices of those who knew Daryl across a lifetime. These are the people who saw him beyond the classroom and the stage — his family, and a friend who became like family. His brother Steve was closest to him in childhood, sharing music, laughter, and a sense of mischief. Kristina, the middle sister, remembers Daryl as both a protector and a teacher. Shamika, the baby sister born many years later, loved him from afar until they grew into their own bond as adults. And Kim, who stepped in as his big-sister-away-from-home over the past four years, offered him a steady sounding board and gentle guidance rooted in care and community.

Together, these reflections gather up the many pieces of Daryl’s story, offering glimpses of the love, laughter, and legacy he leaves with us. In sharing them, I hope to remind us that storytelling can help families hold one another close, even through loss.

The Broadie and Me

These memories begin with Steve, whose reflections carry the easy rhythm of a brotherhood steeped in music and mischief, and shaped by growing up side by side. Just under two years apart, he and Daryl were the kind of brothers who did everything together — from racing down the street, wrestling over snacks, to pulling legendary pranks around the neighborhood. Their bond was woven through hours of band practice, endless jokes, and the unspoken understanding that comes from sharing a childhood.

Daryl and Steve as kids, already finding their rhythm together and sharing a love of music that would carry through the years. (1973)

Steve shared fondly, “The Broadie and I were inseparable from day one!" Daryl naturally set the pace for their adventures, deciding what snacks were cool (no cheese or mayo allowed) and modeling dedication through his relentless trombone practice. “I was always so impressed by how long he’d practice… sometimes he’d practice extra to upset me so we could grapple!”

Their musical bond grew right alongside their sibling connection. Both played in band, both loved music of all kinds, and both had their own rhythm—but it was Daryl who showed early signs of turning that love into a life. “We had mucho success in band and pretty much everything that we did together,” Steve said.

What stands out most, though, is how deeply Steve admired his brother, and how much fun they had. “We laughed about everything, played jokes on everyone in the neighborhood… especially each other.” He added, “I had to really think hard to outsmart him on anything. He was brilliant.”

As they grew older, that bond only deepened. “Once we got older, we had so many good times and I realized that we were equally proud of each other.”

“I love the Broadie,” Steve shared, using his personal nickname for Daryl — another way of saying my brother, and thanking God for letting him have 55 years with him. “Until we meet again, Broadie, I’m gonna give it my all for the rest of my days—and make you proud, my boy. One Love, Cap’n Nice!”

My Big Brother

Their brotherly bond showed how Daryl’s spirit could anchor a family. For Kristina, that same spirit shaped her memories, too, and she carried a different version of Daryl’s place in their family, remembering him as the calm center of their childhood. Kristina called him her “big brother,” not just because he was the oldest, but because of the way he stepped up to guide and protect them. “Growing up with Daryl was almost like having a second dad,” she shared. “He was protective, the keeper of order, the serious one while Steve and I fought endlessly anytime we were together.”

As they grew older, Kristina saw a warm, gentle teacher emerge, eager to learn as much as he taught. “He began changing his own oil, doing minor car repairs and maintenance, and single-handedly renovated our childhood home,” she recalled with admiration. Family gatherings were brightened by Daryl’s skills in the kitchen and behind the grill. “He loved to grill and prepare his specialty dishes that we will all most definitely miss,” she reflected, a smile hidden in her words.

His love for music, Kristina noted, was apart of the way she hears music now. “Every time I hear a band, live music, instruments, I always think of my big brother. That was just his thang.”

Even as she holds the ache of losing him, Kristina also holds gratitude for his gentle spirit — that steady kindness that made him so easy to love. “He was always happy, always had a smile, always mild-mannered and pleasant to be around, loving, caring, sharing, imparting and educating,” she shared. In her heart, she knows his memory will continue to anchor them. “He lives in and through us, watching over us, and we will hold our heads up high and continue to live on for him, our Big Brother Daryl.”

Meek, Come Check Out This Bird!

Shamika and Daryl before she stood eye-to-eye, but always held him high. (1999)

For Shamika, Daryl’s love for music, for good food, and for family was at the core of who he was — a calm, generous presence who found joy in the simplest moments. Though they didn’t grow up in the same season of childhood, she has looked up to him for as long as she could remember.

Daryl's first Thanksgiving turkey that became a family tradition. (2014)

One of her most vivid memories was Thanksgiving, watching him deep-fry the turkey with patient precision. “I’d prep the turkey, season it and inject it with the Cajun butter,” she remembered. “Just watching him get everything set up, how safe and patient he was with every step. I can hear him calling my name: ‘Meek, come check out this bird!’ Once he’d slice it open, he’d say, ‘Look how juicy it is,’ before letting her taste it — waiting for her stamp of approval. “Dang, that’s good Daryl!” she’d tell him, and he’d let out that loud chuckle of a laugh which showed how proud he was of his creation.”

When she tried to fry the turkey herself after he moved to Nevada, she ended up calling him for help. “I called him like, ‘Daryl, I’m trying to fry this turkey since you decided to move away, and I can’t do it. You need to come home now!’” she said, smiling at the memory. He laughed with her, then patiently walked her through every step over the phone until she got it right. “And like a proud brother and teacher, he said, ‘I knew you could do it!’”

In her final memories with him last Christmas, Daryl showed that same easy joy. They shared a late-night trip to Wawa, excited over the smallest things. “He found joy in the little things,” she reflected, “I think he would want to be remembered for his love and passion for music, his dedication to the people he loved, his charisma, and for being an all-around genuine good person.”

Something Special

That same generous spirit showed up in Daryl’s chosen family, too. Kim met Daryl soon after he arrived in Moapa Valley, when he invited her — a retired band teacher — to visit his classroom. “I walked in and saw about 40 kids, all of them attentive, completely focused on him,” Kim recalled. “There was control, but not through fear — through caring and love. I thought to myself, Holy cow, this guy is something special.”

That first moment sparked a four-year friendship rooted in music, mentorship, and a shared love of teaching. Kim visited his classroom many times over the years, and Daryl trusted her to offer a second set of ears. At the Clark County Band Festival, when his advanced band earned the highest score two years in a row, his joy was exuberant. “He was so proud,” Kim said. “And the kids were proud, too. They trusted him so much and never wanted to let him down.” Kim also remembered how Daryl was constantly humbled by the affection his students and colleagues showed him. “Sometimes he was awkward with it,” she laughed gently. “He’d say, What did I do to deserve this? I always told him he’d earned every bit of it.”

Their bond grew through shared music, carpool rides to symphony practice, and easy dinners at her home — where Daryl swapped sports banter with Kim’s husband and shared stories of teaching with Kim. “He came to our house many times for dinner,” she remembered, “and if it was a Saturday evening, college football was on the TV.”

Daryl and Kim played side by side in the Southern Nevada Symphony Orchestra and a brass choir, carpooling to rehearsals and grabbing dinner along the way. “It was there I saw the funny side of Daryl,” she said. “He was fun to be around. We’d laugh, talk music, or talk football with my husband. And during the Super Bowl, we’d text back and forth about the games.”

Kim also admired Daryl’s musical brilliance, especially his talent for arranging. His warm-up pieces and his version of the Star-Spangled Banner revealed a depth of skill that inspired even other teachers. “Not every musician has that gift,” she noted. She summed up their big sister/little brother friendship with quiet gratitude: “He gave so much, and took very little. I’m grateful for the opportunity to know him.”

What We’ll Carry Forward: Honoring Daryl Richardson's Memory

In those simple joys, Daryl’s spirit stays with us — a presence we can feel in every note of music, every gathering, every family story retold. We feel it in the rhythms he left behind and the rituals we’ll keep doing in his honor. Our stories endure because Daryl Richardson helped shape them. So we carry him forward — in the music, in the meals, in the stories, and in the gentle ways he taught us to love a little better, listen a little deeper, and live with more joy.

Stories like those shared in this tribute series remind us that love, loss, community, and family shape us in powerful ways. Reflecting on them helps us make sense of who we are and what we carry forward. That kind of reflection is part of our melanin wellness.

Written by Carlita L. Coley, LPC

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About the Author

I’m a writer, therapist and cousin who believes in the therapeutic benefit of storytelling. Writing this series was my way to honor my cousin Daryl’s legacy, and to offer space for all of us — family, friends, community — to reflect, remember, and heal. These reflections together helped me carry the pieces of loss and I hope that these words might do the same for you.