Our Homeless Solutions’ family celebrates the extraordinary life of longtime friend and supporter, Richard N. “Dick” Weeks, who died on August 17, 2025 at the age of 97.

Dick was first introduced to Homeless Solutions by his daughter-in-law Candace and son Rich when she served on our board many years ago. HSI’s Hand Up Not A Handout approach aligned with values that were important to Dick - hard work and hustle - which he exemplified through his life. He saw that our shelter guests experiencing homelessness were grateful for the hand up and were working hard to increase their income, secure stable housing and manage their own lives again.

Dick quickly became an instrumental partner in our work, often delighting staff when a very generous check was tucked into one of our well-worn newsletter envelopes. He felt honored when asked to join Candace and Rich as lead donors in our 30th Anniversary Capital Campaign which enabled HSI to build more affordable housing, renovate the Mt. Kemble Home and address various capital needs at the shelter.

Dick was always humble about his philanthropy and often expressed when asked, “it is simply the right thing to do.” But if you really wanted to learn about Dick’s true passion, you simply asked him about the business. He was a legend in the construction industry, recognized for his leadership and expansion of Weeks Marine in addition to his active involvement with The Moles, the prestigious heavy construction industry association. He loved to talk about his work and mentor young people entering the field. He established the largest engineering scholarship at his beloved alma mater, Rutgers University, in addition to significant support for the Richard Weeks Hall of Engineering, a true testament to his desire to help the next generation.

At 92, Dick finally stopped going into the office and eventually embraced retirement at Fellowship Village where he delighted running into other HSI and Rutgers supporters.

Former Trustee and longtime HSI supporter, Art Corwin, shared his memories of Dick, “I knew Dick for over 30 years through the Construction Industry, well before I knew his connection to Homeless Solutions. He was by nature a very frugal person except when it came to helping others - he was extremely generous in that regard.  I’m thankful to have known him.”

Homeless Solutions is deeply grateful for Dick’s extraordinary impact over the past 30 years and his commitment to lifting up others through his quiet generosity. He will be missed, but his legacy of care and generosity will continue to inspire.