Richard Marcus

September 20, 2009

I received very kind sympathy cards and notes from members of the Class of 61, and that prompted me to dust off my yearbook and reminisce. I realized that some things don’t change.

Big humor to fit his build . . . This was the first line under Richard’s name in the yearbook. It reminded me of the call I got from a doctor after Richard died. He said, I will miss seeing him. He had such a great sense of humor.

Big humor to fit his build . . . His build gave him a physical presence that served him well. When he spoke, people wanted to hear what he had to say. He was an intelligent man who was a mentor and a leader, which probably formally began as president of his fraternity in college. . . ping-pong pastimes and championships . . . That line made me smile. We went to Maine when the children were young and stayed at a fishing lodge where the entertainment for the evening was often ping-pong. Richard always won the big weekly championship prize of a very large ice cream sundae. The real champion in him was that he always shared the sundae with all the children that played.

. . . with life . . . Richard was a man of honesty and integrity. He loved working in the garden, and the day he died he planted 90 daffodil bulbs. The magnificent daffodils bloomed six months later on his birthday. They were a beautiful living remembrance for a beautiful man who is missed.

~ Donna Marks Marcus