Southampton - Richard F. Stressenger, 73, formerly of Southampton, MA, passed away at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA on March 4, 2014. Born in Sharon, MA, he was the second son of Stephen and Carolyn (Hall) Stressenger. Richard was predeceased by his parents, his sister Ann and his brother Andrew. Dick is survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Stephen and Nina of North Falmouth, MA, and a sister, Constance Valente of Sandy Springs, GA. He is also survived by four nephews and one niece. He will be dearly missed by his best friend and ex-wife, Mary Vaughn Blake of Holyoke, MA and his friend, Sandy DeLonga of South Hadley, MA. Dick was a graduate of Sharon public schools, Boston University and pursued graduate work in American History at the University of Massachusetts. During his youth he was an accomplished sailor who spent countless hours sailing his Herreshoff 12½ in Wild Harbour and Buzzards Bay, winning 15 trophy cups in competitions. He also enjoyed playing pick-up games of ice hockey on the local pond in Sharon. In his adult life Dick amassed a personal library of 5,000 books, most dealing with the study of American history with an emphasis on the Revolutionary and Civil Wars and world history, particularly that of ancient Greece and Rome and World War II. He was a student of Buddhism and had practiced zazen at Zen centers in Haydenville, MA and Northampton, MA. He shared these years with his good friends, Ken Rocke of Heath, MA, Lou Musto of Southampton, MA and Bob Mazer of Amherst, MA along with their teachers of the Zen spiritual path, Shojo and Koshi from Japan. A 30-year employee of National Felt/Non-Wovens in Easthampton, MA, Dick was honored for his years of service with an engraved gold watch. Dick's favorite recreational pursuits were reading and going to performances of his favorite bands, The Ray Mason Band, The Lonesome Brothers and The Stone Coyotes. Services will be held at Curran Jones Funeral Home, 109 Main St., West Springfield, MA at 11:30 AM on Saturday, March 15, 2014. Burial in the family plot in Sharon, MA will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society, P.O. Box 6307, Springfield, MA 01101 or perform a kind deed for a person in need. For further information or directions contact Curran Jones at: www.curranjones.com