Richard Inman Jr.

1951 - 2022

INMAN, Jr., Richard Burr

1951-2022

I wish I was a headlight, on a north-bound train

I'd shine my light through cool Colorado rain…

I know you, rider, gonna miss me when I'm gone.

Those lyrics, made famous by the Grateful Dead, were exactly what Rick Inman wanted posted on a trail where his ashes would be scattered-someday. How ironic and poetic, really, that he died Sunday, August 7, 2022, hiking on a Colorado trail. His good friend was with him as he put his head down on a rock and took his last, peaceful breath in the San Juan mountains. Rick was 70.

Since the 1990s, Rick, Carl Westmoreland and Jamie Wilson, longtime buddies, began yearly backpacking trips. Starting with Glacier National Park, they struck out annually hiking deep into the backcountry, making their way through national parks and summiting peaks throughout the West. The tradition was paused during Covid, but plans were made to resume, with the three-night trip to Colorado.

Rick was the visionary founder and managing principal of Ironwood VII, a firm specializing in the development and financing of public/private partnerships, particularly in challenging locations. Ever the entrepreneur, along the way Rick partnered in the acquisition of a fried pie company in Holly Ridge, North Carolina and an ice cream business in Macon, Georgia. He was on the board of Tucker Federal and became its president for 11 years, growing the bank's assets from $250 million to $1.2 billion. Following the sale of Tucker Federal, he started his own business initially focused on mezzanine real estate lending in the Southeast. Shortly after starting this venture, Rick and his partners bought a power plant in Guam, a U.S. Island Territory in the Western Pacific. The team formed Pruvient Energy and continued to find opportunities utilizing federal programs to improve the island's infrastructure.

Rick was a founding member and Chairman of the Guam Education Financing Foundation, a group responsible for building four schools on Guam. Following the power plant and school deals, Rick and his partners formed Ironwood. They worked with the government of Guam to introduce the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit program to the region and built over 600 housing units on Guam and Saipan, housing over 2500 people living below the median income level. Despite all his development accomplishments on Guam, Rick was proudest of the local Ironwood team and their work to provide social services to tenants, including free after-school care and summer camp for their children. His favorite part of a trip to Guam was to pop into one of Ironwood's community centers to see what the "Ironkids" were up to.

A third generation Atlantan, Richard "Rick" Burr Inman, Jr. was born on December 5, 1951, to Iris Vest Inman and Richard Burr Inman. In seventh grade he entered Georgia Military Academy (now Woodward Academy) where he excelled in academics and athletics, most notably soccer as an All-State player and captain of the team. He graduated from Woodward in 1969 and entered the Georgia Institute of Technology where he was a member of ATO, ODK, ANAK Society, and the Georgia Tech Soccer Club. He graduated with a BS in Economics in 1973. That summer, after a three-year courtship, he married Mary Starling, an Agnes Scott graduate from Winston Salem.

The young couple honeymooned in Sea Island before driving cross-country to California where Rick earned an MBA at Stanford University and then moved to New York, where he began work as an investment banker on Wall Street. White Weld & Company transferred him to Atlanta where he and Mary bought a house in Brookhaven, joined the Capital City Club and put down roots as they raised two daughters: Brantley and Ivey.

A gifted athlete from a young age, Rick excelled in several sports, but soccer was his passion. He began the sport in high school and played for 50-plus years until his "old men's team" had to suspend play during Covid. Rick was a founding board member of Tophat Soccer Club where he coached and managed girls' teams for more than 20 years. He served as a two-term president, treasurer and honorary life member of the Georgia State Soccer Association. He was also instrumental in building Georgia Soccer Park in East Point. He was a devoted fan and follower of several international teams, most notably Chelsea FC, and often planned family trips abroad to catch big games.

His mother's interest in golf did not inspire him as a young man, he preferred the faster pace of soccer, tennis, squash and running and was proud to have run the Peachtree Road Race over 30 times beginning in 1977. He finally found his way to the golf course in 2008, to his mother's delight. He enjoyed the challenge of a new sport and committed to constantly improving his game and enjoying a new-found community of golfing friends. His other interests were diverse, sometimes unpredictable, even quirky. He loved music of all kinds from classical and opera to blues and jam bands. He prized his personalized, autographed photo of James Brown, even establishing a company holiday: God Father of Soul Day each December 26, the day after James Brown's death. He loved convertibles and kept the top down all year long, unless it was raining. He always maintained that there was nothing funnier than a monkey. He even went so far as to surprise his daughter by hiring Dr. Irving, a capuchin monkey, to make an appearance at her wedding reception.

Rick was a dedicated supporter of Georgia Tech: an Emeritus Trustee of the Georgia Tech Foundation and past chair and member of the Board of Advisors, Georgia Tech School of Economics where he established the Mary S. and Richard B. Inman Economics Chair. In turn, the school often recognized his generous support, most recently with the Dean's Appreciation Award/Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts for his contributions to its advancement, reputation, and mission. Rick believed that with a Tech education, alumni are equipped to break new ground addressing the largest global challenges.

Active in diverse communities, Rick was an alumnus of Leadership Atlanta, founder of La Societe des Tetes Grandes, past President of Cathedral Towers, and former board member of Emory-Northlake Hospital. He was a Life Member of Capital City Club, and member of the Sea Island and Ocean Forest Clubs. He was a faithful parishioner of The Cathedral of St. Philip where he had served as an usher and was a regular participant in the Dean's Bible Study.

In the words of one of his closest friends: "Rick 'was blessed and could bless'—a phrase from Yeats that perfectly captures his essence. He was blessed with brains, ability, athleticism and the most engaging personality ever. And he could bless—as when you were in his presence, his infectious joy and enthusiasm allowed you to see beyond your assumed boundaries to more expansive experiences. Everything was more fun with Rick; that was his gift. In the immortal words of Dr. Seuss's "The Cat in the Hat:" 'It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how.' Rick knew how."

Rick is survived by his best friend and wife, Mary Starling Inman; and their daughters, Brantley Inman (Henry Mathieu), of Jackson, Wyoming; and Ivey Inman Monsen (Justin), of Brooklyn, New York; one grandson, Torleif Monsen; his sister, Carol Inman Dubberly (Greg), of Kennesaw; and sister-in-law, Susan Starling, of Reddick, Florida. According to his wishes, the family will have a private memorial to scatter his ashes. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Cathedral of St. Philip to support others in the community: 2744 Peachtree Road, NW, Atlanta, GA 30305 or cathedralatl.org.