The Dudley S. Richards Memorial Ice Skating Rink was dedicated to the memory of Rhode Island native Dudley S. “Dud” Richards, the former US National Pairs Champion and 1960 Olympic figure skater who tragically perished in 1961 along with the entire US figure skating team that he captained in a plane crashed in route to the World Championships.
Rumford residents, Bob & his wife, figure skater Patricia Zeiser, had the initial concept of building an ice rink to act as home base for the Providence Figure Skating Club. The vision became a reality with the financial support of friends and some of the local area’s most notable residents when they formed the privately owned entity, Skating Enterprises, Inc., with Bob Zeiser as its president. The rink opened their doors to the public in February of 1969.
During its decade long run, the East Providence based ice arena played a major role within the Rhode Island figure skating community, high school ice hockey and recreation with the popular public skating sessions that attracted skaters throughout the East Bay communities.
In July of 1979, ten years after it opened and changed the hockey landscape on the east bay, the Dudley S. Richards Memorial Ice Rink was sold to United Skates of America, the largest roller-skating rink operator in the country.
To learn more about the rich history of the Dudley S. Richards Memorial Ice Rink, check out this very informative article published by the Rhode Hockey Island Hall of Fame. Follow this link to view the article >> Dudley Richards Arena – born out of one dedicated couple’s passion for figure skating – RIHHOF
