Passed away on March 17, 2013 with his devoted son by his side after a ten-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Dick was born on April 16th, 1935 in Balboa, Canal Zone. His childhood growing up in the jungles of Panama provided much material for his love of storytelling. The son of a dredge boat captain and a piano teacher, he was the first of his family to attend college. Dick majored in electrical engineering at Auburn University and was awarded a master’s degree in mathematics in 1958.
One of his courses, the first computer course ever offered at Auburn, sparked an interest in the emerging computer field. He moved to Dallas for a job at Burrough’s Corporation which would take him on several moves, including one to England. Dick moved with his family to Santa Barbara in 1977 to work in the Burrough’s plant in Goleta. After closing that plant, as well as the Pasadena plant, he returned to Santa Barbara in 1992 to work with a former employee, the founder of Yardi Systems. Dick would work there with his son, Jay, until his retirement in 2003.
In 2004, he entered the 10 Mile Chardonnay race and won his age group. He quickly became a fixture on the local running circuit, winning First Place for his age group in the 2007 Santa Barbara Grand Prix Series. Dick is survived by his wife of 50 years, Linda, both active members at First United Methodist Church. He is also survived by son Jay (Ruth), daughter Kelly (Brian) O’Rourke, grandchildren Madeline & Sean O’Rourke, brother Jim of Tacoma, Washington & brother David of Laguna Beach, California. Services will be at First United Methodist Church of Santa Barbara on Saturday, March 23rd at 2:00.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: First United Methodist Church www.fumcsb.org or Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care www.vnhcsb.org.
