Richard Lloyd Noble

Noble, Richard Lloyd
A Memorial Mass will be offered for Richard Lloyd Noble on Saturday, February 22, at 11 a.m., in the chapel of Thomas Aquinas College, located at 10,000 N. Ojai Road, Santa Paula, Calif. A brilliant securities lawyer and an active member of the Board of Governors of Thomas Aquinas College since 1977, Noble died December 10, 2002, in Los Angeles. He was 63. Funeral and interment services were held on January 15, 2003, in Ardmore, Okla., where he was interred next to his father Lloyd Noble, a legend in the oil production industry. Born October 11, 1939, in Oklahoma City, Noble lived most of his adult life in Los Angeles. A graduate of both Stanford University and Stanford University Law School, he passed the California State Bar in April 1965, remaining a member until his death. Twice published in the Stanford Law Review, Noble received the rare honor of being published for the first time in this review as an undergraduate. "He was a very fine man, a very smart man, an excellent help to me in several cases, an extremely sharp lawyer, and a good friend through the years," says lawyer John E. Schaeffer. Schaeffer helped recruit Noble from Stanford Law School to the San Francisco law firm of Cooper, White & Cooper. In 1967, Noble returned to Los Angeles, where he became a partner with Voegelin, Barton, Harris & Callister. In 1970, he established his own firm, Noble & Campbell. A lifelong Republican and generous benefactor to conservative causes, Noble's passion for politics was fostered at Stanford, during which time he served as president of the Young Republicans. He was later appointed by former California Governor Deukmejian to serve on the Colorado River Board, a post for which he was singularly well-qualified due to the depth of his understanding of water rights law. He had researched the issue extensively and co-authored an article with Charles J. Meyers, which appeared in the 1967 issue of the Stanford Law Review. He served on the Colorado River Board from his appointment on June 29, 1983, through 1994. "Not only did we work together, but he was a personal friend," recalls Dennis Underwood, former executive secretary and executive director of the Colorado River Board during much of Noble's tenure. "Richard added a dimension to the Board that was extremely helpful because of his long involvement in the political arena and his personal involvement with Governor Deukmejian and then-Senator Pete Wilson. He was a tremendous help at a time when we especially needed assistance." "Richard was an avid reader, an accomplished writer and speaker, and a friend to many," notes Paula Willins, who worked with Noble for 18 years. "Many people have called to express condolences and talk about fond memories." Noble had a special affection for Thomas Aquinas College and its four-year Great Books curriculum. "He was a good and generous man," said Vice President for Finance and Administration Peter DeLuca, whose friendship with Noble was forged 40 years ago when both were presidents of their respective college chapters of Young Republicans. "He was a brilliant man. We very much appreciated his friendship and his longtime involvement with the College. I believe he felt a kinship with fellow Board members." "Thomas Aquinas College was one of his chief interests," echoes Fred Ruopp, chairman and CEO of Chelsea Management Company, an investment counseling firm in Los Angeles. Ruopp knew Noble for 25 years and served with him on Thomas Aquinas College's Board of Governors. "Richard believed that people should investigate ideas and facts for themselves. He thought that played out in the scholarship and educational methods of the College." "He was very competent and precise, a man of broad interests and very articulate," adds Ruopp. "He had a great command of names, dates, history and events. He was very bright, interested in politics and history, and had many aesthetic interests. We had many long and interesting conversations." As a young child often accompanying his mother to estate sales, Noble developed an eye for and eventually became a collector of, among other things, antiques, oriental rugs, jade snuff boxes, and art, including an extensive collection of nautical paintings. "He often referred to himself as a man of the 17th century," recalls Willins. "He was a gentleman-very proper with a wry wit." Noble is preceded in death by his beloved mother, Eloise Noble, father, Lloyd Noble, and half-brother, Sam Noble. He is survived by half-sister, Ann Noble Brown, half-brother, Ed Noble, by nieces and nephews, Lloyd Noble, Nicholas Noble, Russell Noble, Shelley Noble Dru, David Brown, Susan Brown, Marianne Brown Rooney, and Vivian Noble DuBose, and by numerous grandnieces and nephews. For information on the Memorial Mass, call Anne Forsyth at Thomas Aquinas College: 800/634-9797, ext. 371.