Richard Safro

Mr. Richard Earl Safro, 84, beloved resident of the Magnolia Heights neighborhood of St. Petersburg, FL, passed away on November 5, 2025 – after a series of health challenges. Richard was born on December 5, 1940 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Earl and Mary Elizabeth (Koscak) Safro and lived in Hammond, Indiana until 1977, when he moved to the Sunshine State.

A warm, loving and very kind man, Richard loved his home, “Pompeii” with its’ beautiful gardens of orchid trees, ferns and tropical beauty. Prior to becoming a Floridian, Richard had been the foreman of the Upholstery Department for Simmons, in Munster, Indiana. It was here that he developed his skills which later enabled him and his partner, Tony Negele Hart, to successfully run Hart Upholstery in St. Petersburg, where their outstanding skills serviced the needs of customers throughout the Bay Area. They were also known for creating “Classical Clowns” teaching students the skills, skits and make-up applications to be professional clowns. They received a City of St. Pete Official Clown designation honor from (former) Mayor Corrine Freeman. The duo also participated as extras for the St. Petersburg Opera group for several years.

Richard was an artist model, posing for artists and students alike. He started at the Morean Art Center, and worked for various institutions, including the Dunedin Fine Art Gallery as well as teaching studios. Many paintings and sculptures of Richard abound in the St. Pete/Tampa area – both with galleries and private collections. Richard was also an artist, working in clay and sketching.

Richard was preceded in death by his parents Earl and Mary; sister Dorothy; brother Bobby; lifetime friend, Tony Negele Hart, and friends Steven Jewell, Mary Jane Powell, and Jeff Samuelson.

He will be deeply missed by his surviving sister, Mary Jo Dimoff; as well as his nieces Barbara Jenkins, Deborah Turner, Brenda Turner, Linda Swango, Samantha Coates; and nephew Christopher Dimoff.

Richard is also survived by many loving, long-term friends who shared his laughter, creativeness and life: Rebecca (“BeckeyRoy”) Roberts; Martin Roache; Kyu Yamamoto; Niles Grayson; Kyle Schaneville; LA and Jeff Searles; Pat Aitken; Bonnie Applegate-Rivenbark; and numerous others.

A private memorial service to honor and celebrate Richard's life will be attended by invited friends & family. An open-to-all Mass of Christian Burial will take place at Our Lady’s Chapel, St. Jude’s Cathedral, 5815 5th Avenue North, on Tuesday, December 9 at 1:00pm.

Richard’s legacy of humor, love, kindness and strength will live on in the hearts of all who knew him.

Lord, you gather our tears in your special bottle. We thank you that we have friends who are so close to us that they become our family. May we always be reminded that the bonds of love are never broken -- even when our earthly bonds are severed through death. Thank you for the blessing of Richard’s love and friendship.