Richard Allen Boles

Richard Allen Boles was a lifelong Midwesterner turned Floridian whose work in law enforcement and devotion to family defined his adult life. Born November 16, 1941, in Ravenna, Ohio, Boles moved to South Florida after finishing high school in 1966. He made his home there, married Susan Mazziotti in 1971, and raised a son and a daughter. Those who knew him remembered a man who chose night patrols so he could keep mornings free for his children and family life.

Boles began his law-enforcement career with the Seminole Indian Department of Law Enforcement in 1981 and went on to serve at the Golden Beach Police Department before joining the Metro-Dade Police Department in April 1984. Across those years he earned the respect of colleagues for steady, conscientious service. Records and archival portraits preserve his image as an officer committed to public safety; his name is also inscribed on memorial rolls honoring officers who gave their lives in the line of duty.

Beyond badge and duty, public records indicate Boles was part of a family with ties across Florida, including a brother who also served in law enforcement. Contemporary newspaper coverage and later memorials note his role as a husband and father and the everyday priorities he held outside of work.

Richard Boles’ life was cut short on November 28, 1988. The loss was deeply felt by colleagues, family, and the community he served; his name appears on state and national memorials that commemorate peace officers who died in the line of duty. While public sources emphasize his service and the circumstances of his death, the available records also make clear he was a person with roots, relationships, and responsibilities—a husband and a father whose choices reflected a desire to balance demanding work with family care.

In remembering Richard Allen Boles, the focus remains on the human dimensions preserved in official and archival records: a man who moved across the country, built a family, and chose a life of public service. Those pieces form a respectful portrait of a life lived in daily commitments to others, and they honor the ordinary kindnesses and steady labor that defined him.