Richard Abrams

Richard Lewis Abrams passed away on Thursday, August 21, 2025. He was born on December 20, 1948, in Camden, New Jersey, to Mildred Gold Abrams and Martin Abrams. Sadly, Richard lost his father when he was only two years old. His mother, grandparents, and aunts and uncles lovingly raised him in Philadelphia alongside his twelve younger cousins, whom he loved so deeply. When his mother remarried, they moved to Miami, Florida. At the age of twelve, Richard began a new chapter of his life in South Florida. He attended Hollywood Hills High School, then college in Boca Raton, and eventually pursued his law degree at South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas. A few months into his first semester, fate stepped in. On a double blind date, Richard was paired with someone who wasn’t the right match, but across the table was Judith Wizig, who felt the same about her date. Richard and Judy connected immediately and abandoned their dates to talk to each other. Within two months they had moved in together, and this past July 4th, they celebrated 50 years of marriage. Their love story was one of devotion, humor, and unwavering partnership. Richard built a remarkable career in the law. He was respected not just for his intellect and fairness, but for the humanity he brought to the courtroom. As a judge, he had a reputation for listening carefully, weighing each case with empathy as well as rigor, and remembering that behind every case was a person, a family, and a story. His commitment to justice was matched only by his ability to arrive late everywhere he went. Beyond the courtroom, Richard was a devoted son, husband, father, and grandfather. He showed his children the true meaning of family, not just through words but through action. When his mother grew older, he lovingly built her a room in their home so she could live with them and continue as a present grandmother. Richard loved his family deeply and never missed an opportunity to remind them how proud he was. He had a quick wit, a generous heart, and a way of making everyone around him feel seen and valued. His guidance was steady, his values unwavering, and his love unconditional. Richard also had passions that brought him joy outside of work. He loved his community, his friends, and his Jewish heritage; he truly was a mensch. He delighted in his beloved cars, from his 1966 Thunderbird Convertible to his Jaguars and Cadillacs. He approached life with curiosity and gratitude, and he passed on those qualities to his children and grandchildren. True to his restless spirit, when retirement grew dull, he went back to school and earned two master’s degrees in law simply for the joy of learning. He will be deeply missed by his children, Rochelle and Stephen Abrams, and by his daughter, Marta, son-in-law Bryan, and grandchildren Clay, Brayden, and Millie. His family meant the world to him. He was fun-loving and often acted like a grown child, much to the delight of his grandchildren. He loved western movies, music, traveling and doggies. He loved to feed people, rom the dogs (who weren’t supposed to get table scraps) to every childhood friend who ever came through his home. He found true joy in liberating the Diet Coke while blowing the straw wrapper in your face, all with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Feeding and sharing were his love language, a reflection of the generous spirit that defined his life. In the last two years, Richard fought a hard battle of dementia and CIDP. Through it all, his loving caretakers, Marco, Candy, Stella, Lannie, and Ayo, tended to his every need with compassion. They too fell in love with him, touched by the same warmth and kindness that he shared with everyone throughout his life. As we remember Richard, we celebrate a man who endured hardship early in life yet built a legacy of stability, love, and laughter for all who knew him. We celebrate a man who believed in justice, who cherished family, and who lived fully and faithfully alongside the woman he adored. Judge Richard Abrams leaves behind not only a legal legacy, but a personal one of kindness, wisdom, humor, and devotion to Judaism. His memory will forever be a blessing. A funeral service was held on Sunday, August 24, 2025 in The Herman and Elaine Proler Chapel at Congregation Beth Israel Memorial Garden, 1101 Antoine Dr., Houston, TX 77055.

Richard Abrams

December 20, 1948 - August 21, 2025