From InTheNews: Death of Richard Rollins

GT icon kept his parks pristine

Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 04/17/2007 12:00:00 AM PDT
http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_5683855

GRAND TERRACE - They called him "Mr. Clean" because he was obsessed with keeping everything spotless. Years before he started working for the city, Richard Rollins was a fixture at the park across from his house that was later named in his honor.

"He would go over there and pick up trash and keep the place neat and tidy. He sort of became the caretaker of that park on his own," City Manager Tom Schwab said.

Rollins, a Grand Terrace resident since about 1960, was found dead Sunday afternoon in his home of apparent heart failure. He was 85.

City leaders and relatives remember Rollins as an integral part of the Grand Terrace fabric. He campaigned door to door for Grand Terrace to become its own city rather than to be annexed to Colton.

He also formed the first Parks and Recreation Committee when the city was incorporated in 1978. Rollins also fought to protect land that a developer wanted to build houses on so it could be preserved for a park. The land became Terrace Hills Community Park, which was renamed Richard Rollins Park in 1997.

Rollins was so dedicated to taking care of the park that the city finally offered him a part-time job in the early 1990s.

Until the day before his death, Rollins was responsible for opening and closing Rollins and Pico parks seven days a week. He also cleaned the restrooms and picked up trash at the two parks. "Even when we asked him recently if he wanted to slow down and not take on the responsibility of taking care of the parks, he insisted on doing it as long as he could," Schwab said. "Toward the end, he was using a cane and a walker."

His obsession with cleanliness extended to his personal life. Andy Rollins, the eldest of his three sons, said his father washed down the sidewalk and curb in front of his house and washed his truck several times a week. "He didn't like the way his wife cleaned the house, so he cleaned it himself," Andy Rollins said. "I guarantee that his truck is sitting in his garage right now and there's not a spot on it, and it has 400,000 miles on it."

Rollins also served on the citizen's patrol crime prevention committee and volunteered with several community events such as Grand Terrace Days and the former Tour de Terrace bicycle race. "He meant everything to Grand Terrace," said JoAnn Johnson, the volunteer director of the Grand Terrace Senior Center. "He did so many things that it's just impossible to remember everything."

Rollins, a native of Detroit, enlisted in the Army in 1942 and served in World War II.
He moved to California in 1952 and lived in Riverside before coming to Grand Terrace.
He spent much of his life after the war working in the construction business.

Rollins was married twice, first to Jean Lepley and later to Beth Gordon. Both died earlier.
He is survived by three sons with his first wife, Andy Rollins, 60, of Melbourne, Fla.; Don Rollins, 59, of Eugene, Ore.; and David Rollins, 56, of Scotts Mills, Ore.; a sister, Janet Daniels of Los Altos; and five grandchildren.

Andy Rollins said his father did not want a funeral or burial service.
The city plans to schedule a memorial event in his honor.
He will be buried at Riverside National Cemetery.


Sun Telegram:
IN Brief: GRAND TERRACE Service planned for park volunteer
The city and The Brook Church will have a memorial service for volunteer Richard Rollins at 3 p.m. Friday at Rollins Park, 22735 De Berry St.
Rollins was a longtime resident whose passion for taking care of the park led to it being named in his honor. Rollins died earlier this week at age 85.

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