Richard Duane Hultquist

1933 - 2018

Richard Duane Hultquist
Sept. 18, 1933 - Jan. 27, 2018
San Jose
Richard died peacefully in his sleep, surrounded by his family, on Saturday, January 27. He is survived by Kit, his wife of 62 years, and by four sons and their families, David and his wife, Jeanne, and their children, Grace and Grant; Eric and his wife, Jennie, and his son, James; Jeff and his wife, Mary, and their sons, Michael, Kyle, and Joseph; and Kevin and his wife, Jo, and their daughter, Ava.
Richard grew up in Clarion, Pennsylvania. He joined the Navy, based in Newport, Rhode Island, and served as a radio tech on a destroyer touring the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean. After his honorable discharge, Richard earned a degree in electrical engineering from Indiana Tech, and then began a long career in the aerospace industry, starting at Bell Aerospace in Buffalo, New York. Upon accepting a position at Lockheed Missiles and Space, in Sunnyvale, Richard and his family moved to California in 1962. He retired after working 31 years as a software engineer at Lockheed.
In their retirement, Richard and Kit enjoyed traveling together throughout the United States and to Australia, Norway, Germany, and England. Richard volunteered for many years at the San Jose Historical Society, where he helped to restore several trolley cars, buses, and trucks, now on display at the San Jose History Park, and an antique electric car, now on display at Campbell Historical Museum. Richard was past president and a lifetime member of the Santa Clara Valley Gem and Mineral Society; he and Kit traveled throughout the western states, avidly gathering interesting rocks, gems, minerals, and fossils. He enjoyed many other activities with his family, including astronomy, fishing, hunting, the Boy Scouts, judo, and tai chi. He was a skilled and enthusiastic woodcarver, specializing in carved Irish knot work.
Richard was a lifelong, devout and active member of the Roman Catholic Church. Richard and Kit were founding members of Christ the King parish in the Edenvale area of San Jose; they served on the committee that raised funds and built the church. When Richard and Kit moved to the Villages in 2008, they became faithful members of the nearby Saint Francis of Assisi parish. They both were active volunteers in the parish until Richard's declining health required a more limited schedule.
A memorial mass will be held at Saint Francis of Assisi church on Saturday, the 10th of February, at 2 o'clock. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Saint Francis of Assisi parish.


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