Alexandria Community Supports GoFundMe to Send Beloved Crossing Guard Home to His Final Resting Place in Trinidad
ALEXANDRIA, VA-Richard Thomas, a beloved crossing guard who looked out for schoolchildren for 19 years, died unexpectedly on Oct. 1. Originally from Trinidad, Thomas wanted to retire there one day. Now a GoFundMe site has been created to send him to his final resting place in his home country.
As of this writing, the Alexandria Community has helped raise $3,995 toward the $5,000 goal.
While stationed at John Adams Elementary School, he was recognized as as Most Outstanding Crossing Guard in 2023. Presented by the Virginia’s Department of Transportation, a profile about Thomas on its website says he was honored for “excel[ing] in ensuring student safety.” He did his job with “genuine warmth and friendliness.”
The day before his funeral on Oct. 10, the Alexandria Police Department said in a Facebook post: “We have lost a beloved member of our APD Family, Mr. Richard Thomas, who served our community as a School Crossing Guard for almost two decades. He was committed to the safety of our children and loved the work he did for 19 years. He will be dearly missed by his family, friends, colleagues, and the school children [sic] and families he greeted every day.”
If you would like to help send Thomas home, you can donate HERE.
