Richard Charles "Rick" Richards, 70, passed away on September 5, 2025, in Santa Clarita, California, following a long series of debilitating ailments after heart surgery. He was born on April 21, 1955, in Fort Wayne, Indiana at the old Lutheran Hospital on Fairfield Avenue.
Rick attended St. Henry Elementary School and graduated from Bishop Luers High School in the Class of 1973. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Indiana University Bloomington, where he was a member of the Zeta Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) fraternity. His fraternity brothers affectionately nicknamed him "Sponge" for his remarkable capacity to absorb both knowledge and beer. He was an avid fan of IU sports, the Little 500 and the Indianapolis 500. His moto was "You only live once."
Before college, Rick was an FCC-licensed ham radio operator and CB radio enthusiast. Standing 6'5", his call sign was "Jolly Green Giant" and he assembled an impressive collection of vintage communications equipment.
Rick later moved to California pursuant to his passion for the Film Arts, or filmmaking, attending the Brooks Institute of Photographic Arts and Sciences in Santa Barbara. He authored several screenplays under his startup Reel Visions© and launched his labor of love website rickrichards.com, exploring unconventional topics such as UFOs, chakras, and ancient mysteries.
Rick was insatiably curious and fiercely independent but with an open mind. He was also a talented musician that played both bass and guitar. He once mused, "Given a choice, I would've chosen playing in a Beetles cover band."
Professionally, Rick held key marketing roles with several Japanese companies in Los Angeles County, including Seika Corporation USA, Nihon Almet, and American Hakko Products, Inc., where he worked until his retirement in 2024. He also became a licensed real estate agent and founded RicksLampStudioLLC, offering handcrafted lamps and decorative items.
Rick married the love of his life Marianne Leopold, a retired real estate agent from Denmark. Though they had no children, they shared a deep love for their dogs. His cremains were scattered along the coastal cliffs of California.
Rick is survived by former wife Marianne Leopold; siblings Joyce Ann (Bernard) Sarrazine, Patricia Sue (Robert) Keister, James Michael (Pamela) Richards, and Kathleen Marie (Scott) McGrew; as well as several cousins, nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews and countless friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, James E. and A. Lorraine (Gildea) Richards.
Our world has indeed lost a special life. He will be missed.
Rick attended St. Henry Elementary School and graduated from Bishop Luers High School in the Class of 1973. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Indiana University Bloomington, where he was a member of the Zeta Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) fraternity. His fraternity brothers affectionately nicknamed him "Sponge" for his remarkable capacity to absorb both knowledge and beer. He was an avid fan of IU sports, the Little 500 and the Indianapolis 500. His moto was "You only live once."
Before college, Rick was an FCC-licensed ham radio operator and CB radio enthusiast. Standing 6'5", his call sign was "Jolly Green Giant" and he assembled an impressive collection of vintage communications equipment.
Rick later moved to California pursuant to his passion for the Film Arts, or filmmaking, attending the Brooks Institute of Photographic Arts and Sciences in Santa Barbara. He authored several screenplays under his startup Reel Visions© and launched his labor of love website rickrichards.com, exploring unconventional topics such as UFOs, chakras, and ancient mysteries.
Rick was insatiably curious and fiercely independent but with an open mind. He was also a talented musician that played both bass and guitar. He once mused, "Given a choice, I would've chosen playing in a Beetles cover band."
Professionally, Rick held key marketing roles with several Japanese companies in Los Angeles County, including Seika Corporation USA, Nihon Almet, and American Hakko Products, Inc., where he worked until his retirement in 2024. He also became a licensed real estate agent and founded RicksLampStudioLLC, offering handcrafted lamps and decorative items.
Rick married the love of his life Marianne Leopold, a retired real estate agent from Denmark. Though they had no children, they shared a deep love for their dogs. His cremains were scattered along the coastal cliffs of California.
Rick is survived by former wife Marianne Leopold; siblings Joyce Ann (Bernard) Sarrazine, Patricia Sue (Robert) Keister, James Michael (Pamela) Richards, and Kathleen Marie (Scott) McGrew; as well as several cousins, nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews and countless friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, James E. and A. Lorraine (Gildea) Richards.
Our world has indeed lost a special life. He will be missed.
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