Ira Richer

Remember him well

I only just recently learned of Ira's passing. I am so sorry for Karilisa and the family. However, I am so glad I made the effort to contact Ira when in Boston in April of 2008. We had one more wonderful evening together. But then again, what else should I have expected from Ira. I am so glad we exchanged one last heart-warming hug upon parting. Thankfully, I think I can still feel some of the warmth of his soul from that hug if I close my eyes and concentrate......

He was...

I had written Ira earlier this year to see if he would be going to our 50th RPI reunion, since he was one of the very few classmates with whom I had kept in touch. When we left RPI to go to graduate school, Ira to CalTech and me to Stanford, I took the train from Brooklyn to Canal Street with my suitcases, loaded them into Ira's Plymouth, and we took off on Ira and Mike's excellent adventure. Neither of us had seen anything of the rest of the country, and we made the most of it, hitting as...

Dear Lise and Family.

I was so sorry to hear of Ira's passing. Although it has been many years since we worked together at BBN, Ira was always such a joy to work with. He absolutely sparkled giving presentations on the advantages of packet switching as a communications technology. His fine sense of understanding what an audience needed to know and the unassuming way in which could explain the most arcane of technologies made listening to him an enlightening experience. ...

I am so sorry to hear about Ira's passing.

Ira was a great guy. I only knew him professionally. Although he was obviously extremely intelligent, he was always charming and a great person to spend time with. I always enjoyed our conversations, no matter what the topic.

As they say, he will be missed.

Ira was more a brother than just a good friend. Not just because I was Ira’s “big brother” when he joined the Zeta Psi fraternity at RPI where we became roommates, but because after we graduated from RPI he became a part of my family.

Immediately after graduation Joan and I were married in Brockport NY (with a few Zetes in attendance to send us off) and drove to Los Angeles CA to start our life together in a small apartment. Soon thereafter Ira started on his masters degree at Cal...

In the fall of 1961 before we were married, Ima Jean and I decided to try to make the summit of Mount Whitney. In those days all that was necessary was to sign in and out at the bottom so that the forest rangers would know if everyone made it back. The way the assent was generally done was to climb up to the last available water at the 12,000 foot level, make camp for the night, leave your gear there and make the summit and the entire decent the next day. We were taking a rest beside a...

Dear Lise, Elise, and Mark,
I am so sorry to hear of Ira's death. I have many memories of him in Ivrea, Lexington, and Boston, especially when he showed us around the North Bennett St. School. It seems he managed to squeeze so much into his short life. We will miss him. Hugs to you all.

When I picture Ira, I see a him sitting in your Lexington living room with a big, gentle smile on his face. I am so sad for your loss.