Richard W. Small

Richard W. “Rick” Small, Ph.D.

Richard W. Small of Boston passed away on April 16, 2026 at the age of 78 after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease and Lewy Body Dementia.  

Rick was born in 1947 in Dorchester, Massachusetts to Walter and Kathleen Small and was the oldest of six children, including his brothers Chris, Larry, Andrew, and Justin and his sister Martha.  He graduated from Randolph High School and was a proud Boston College Eagle.  He went on to receive a Master’s in Education from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Washington.

He met his wife of 52 years, Donna Townsend, while working at Walker School in Needham, MA.  He is survived by Donna and their two children, Amy Townsend-Small and Christopher Townsend-Small.  He is also survived by his brothers Chris, Larry, and Justin, his sister Martha, and dozens of nieces and nephews.  He will be greatly missed by his family, his many friends, colleagues, and the many lives he touched through his long career.

Rick dedicated his life to serving others, especially children in need.  He served as the director of Walker for over 25 years.  He was a gifted writer, speaker and therapist who achieved international recognition for his skills to bridge academia with the practice of child welfare.

In lieu of flowers a donation to Walker in Rick’s memory is welcome: www.walkercares.org/DonateNow 

Alternatively, Rick was also a lifelong listener to and lover of National Public Radio and he would also appreciate it if you made a donation to your local NPR station.

A Celebration of Life for Rick will be held at the Story Chapel at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St, Cambridge, Massachusetts on Friday, May 22 at 1:30 pm with a reception to follow. 

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