Richard William Babcock Nevell

SERVICE UPDATE:  A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, June 22, 2024 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at the family home at 40 Sugarbush Road, Hancock, NH.  (Rain location:  Hancock Vestry, Main Street, Hancock, NH)

Richard William Babcock Nevell, 76, of Hancock passed away peacefully on May 12, 2024 at Pheasant Wood Center in Peterborough with his loving wife of 23 years, Ni Wayan Suarni, at his side.

Richard was born in Greenwich, CT on July 1, 1947, the son of Thomas G.W. and Raye (Babcock) Nevell. He grew up in Riverside and attended high school at Choate Rosemary Hall, later graduating with a B.A. in English from Boston University in 1969. He then moved to New Hampshire and taught English for one year at the Dublin School. He later worked at New Hope New Horizons in Keene as director of a workshop providing a safe and positive environment for adults with developmental disabilities to learn job skills and gain work experience in the community. He volunteered as an artist in residence at the Harrisville School in 1977-78.

Richard was a gifted photographer, author, filmmaker, musician and songwriter. He received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts to co-produce two films with Robert Fiore: Country Corners and Full of Life A-Dancin’ , which was based on his book, A Time to Dance: American Country Dancing from Hornpipes to Hot Hash , first published in 1977 and then again in 2017.  His folk music album Snooze was released in 1981. Two of his songs, Rachel’s Song and Woodland Dream , were recorded by other folk musicians, and Woodland Dream was performed at the 1999 Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C.

Richard traveled and lived all over the world—in Rio de Janeiro, Paris, Italy, Spain, Morocco, Australia, Vietnam and, finally Bali, Indonesia—forming deep, lasting friendships everywhere he went. He was a mainstay at The Folkway in Peterborough for many years, playing music, booking artists and finding kinship with other creative souls. He also loved spending time in contra dance halls throughout New England and across the country, where he always felt a sense of belonging. It was music and dance that first drew him to Bali, and it was there where he met the love of his life, Wayan. They married in 2000 and began dividing their time between Hancock and Bali. He was so happy to visit Bali with Wayan one last time in 2023.

Richard was kind, quiet, funny, creative, independent and always curious – about people, culture and life. He was a wonderful storyteller, but he listened more than he talked. Throughout his life, he was a friend and mentor to many young people, always interested in their passions and supportive of their unique gifts. He loved spending time with Wayan at home, being outdoors, birding, kayaking, hiking, movies, pizza nights, football afternoons, and visits with friends and family. He also cherished time with the Fossum family on Bailey Island, ME, first visiting in grade school and then returning every summer since 1969.

In addition to his beloved wife Wayan, he is survived by his family in Bali, including mother and father-in-law Ni Made Tamped and I Made Segara, brother-in-law I Made Suarna (Ni Luh Putu Widarini) and nieces Ni Nyoman Ananada Dyutidhara and Ni Ketut Adinda Savita, sister-in-law Ni Ketut Ayu Adnyani and nephews I Wayan Krisna Wedana and I Made Satya Medha. He is also survived by brother-in-law Peter Fogg of Denver, CO, niece Kaki (Matt) McGeary, grandniece Caitlin and grandnephew Charlie of Essex, VT, niece Molly Kinne of Colorado Springs, CO and best friend Miss Willow Vitous of East Aurora, NY. He was predeceased by his parents, sister Nancy Nevell Fogg, and brother-in-law I Nyoman Suarya.

Richard leaves behind his family and a large community of dear friends around the world, whose lives are so much richer for the life and song he shared with us.

A Celebration of Life will be held on June 22, 2024, with details to be announced.

From The Woodland Dream , by Richard Nevell

So won’t you play for us my friend,

Won’t you spare us one short tune?

Or else we’ll spend eternity

As silent as the moon.

Well a stranger tale I never heard,

But she spoke so innocently

That I played upon my island pipe

A tune called the woodland dream.

And the sky became alive with sound

Of angel harmony.

As sweet as springtime showers fall

They sang the woodland dream.