Richard attended Brooklyn Technical High School in New York City. His IQ was tested and shown to be in the 160-170, or genius range. When his parents moved to the Princeton, New Jersey area to operate a motel on U.S. #1 called the Pine Tree Cottages, Richard entered Princeton High School where he met his future wife Cathryn Elizabeth Hocking.

But Richard disliked intensely this school which he considered to be inferior to Brooklyn Tech, and soon dropped out, preferring to join his father in the auto parts distribution business. Their business was known as the Clarksville Auto Supply Company. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Richard enlisted in the Army/Air Corps and was trained as a bombardier. He was never sent overseas. After the war he returned to the family motel and apartment business.

In the 1950’s Richard bought his parent’s motel and renovated more of the units into apartments that were very much in demand in the area at the time. He also bought out the Swankey’s Motel next door and renovated those units.


After he sold the motel and apartment business in 196 he found employment with two area companies. First he worked in the shipping department of Creative Playthings, the Toy Company. After that, he sold parts for machinery for Lindsey Oberhauser in Trenton, New Jersey. He was a voracious reader and loved watching the history channel on television.

Richard was active in two civic organizations during his lifetime. He was a 32nd degree Mason and a Shriner, having strong compassion for the burned and crippled children.