Walter Rich

 
 
 
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Walter 'Waldo' Rich, 40; restored his 'fleet' of trucks

Walter "Waldo" Rich was a truck hobbyist who spent many of his leisure hours tinkering with the various pickups in his small fleet.

Walter, 40, of Attleboro, even had a name for his favorite truck -- a midnight blue Chevy S-10 with gray pinstripes.

He called it "Dirty Deeds."

The name, painted in white letters on the truck's tailgate, was inspired by one of Walter's favorite songs, "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap," by AC/DC.

Walter began work on the truck about 12 years ago, about three years before the birth of his son, Christopher.

"He built it himself -- put it together from scratch," said his wife, Kimberly, 34.

The project extended long after Christopher learned how to walk. The truck won awards at several car shows.

More recently, Walter had started customizing a second S-10. This one would boast a dual cab, Kimberly said.

He also owned several other trucks.

During a recent snowstorm, Walter took out his plow and helped clear a neighbor's driveway. The neighbor, Glenn Therriault, invited him to the Great White concert, Kimberly said.

Walter was not a devoted Great White fan, but he adored '80s music.

"He kind of liked it all," his wife said. "There wasn't any one particular band that he favored over the other."

Walter also liked snowmobiling and eating seafood -- especially fish and chips.

A 1981 graduate of Attleboro High School, he had worked in maintenance at a MassElectric substation on West Street, in Attleboro, for 17 years.

He was a dedicated family man who liked to make people laugh, including Christopher, 9.

The boy was often at his father's side during the assembly of Dirty Deeds.

"Ever since our son could walk, he's been in that truck," Kimberly said. "My son loved that truck because his father built it."

-- Mark Reynolds

 

   

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