RICHARD DOW

DOW, Richard Richard Appleton Dow, Jr. Richard A. Dow, age 84, died peacefully November 18, 2025, at his home in South Dartmouth, MA. He was with his wife and dog. The cause was cancer. Richard "Rick" was born in Cambridge, MA, to Richard A. Dow, Sr. and Elisabeth Sagendorph Dow. He grew up in Dover, MA, attended Brooks School, in North Andover, MA, and graduated from Needham High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in English literature and letters from University of Pennsylvania in 1964. He trained as a licensed clinical social worker at Family Therapy Institute of Westchester, NY. After college, Richard moved to New York City to become an educator, teaching briefly in the public school system. However, he quickly hit success as a model, including as the Aramis (fragrance) Man in 1972. He worked for the next 20 years in modeling, dance, TV, film and theatre, working with notables including Sam Shephard, Olympia Dukakis, Alvin Ailey and Jerome Robbins. Richard met the love of his life at acting class. Maggie Flanigan was teaching at the William Esper Studios in New York, when Dow joined the two-year program; she offered to help get him acclimated. "I saw him walk in and immediately thought, 'This is the man I'm going to marry.' And I did," she said about their meeting. "As an actor, he felt very deeply. And that came through in his acting, as a therapist, and a person. He was very empathetic." Richard and Maggie married in 1987 in Weehawken, NJ, where they lived with their dogs. Later in the 1990s, they moved to Grand-View-on-Hudson, NY, where Richard loved walking with his dogs in Harriman State Park. In his early 40s, Richard trained to become a licensed social worker and begin work as a family therapist. He found parallels between the self-discovery and risk-taking required for acting roles and the compassion and empathy of being a therapist. He loved working with families and remained connected with former clients up until his passing. Living along the Hudson River, Richard also was able to return to sailing, a passion since his youth. He moored a Marshall Cat sailboat off the dock in front of his house and regularly took friends and family out for day sails in the shadow of the Tappan Zee Bridge. He also was fond of swimming off the dock, something he did nearly 11 months of the year. Richard was a loving husband, who relished his role as fan and sounding board for Maggie as she became one of New York's most well-respected acting teachers. Maggie opened her own studio in 2001. Living in the city, they regularly dined with actors and attended plays in which her students performed. When Maggie's acting classes left her working long days, Richard would plan lunch or dinner near her studio so they could spend time together. In 2015, Richard retired and the couple moved to South Dartmouth, MA, along Padanaram Harbor. As when he lived along the Hudson, Richard continued to swim year-round, eschewing beach-entry for a jump off the dock, his favorite. Richard moored his sailboat in Padanaram Harbor at the New Bedford Yacht Club. He regularly explored the coastline by boat with friends and family. Richard was a passionate reader and known for his gentle and warm demeanor and keen interest in the lives of others. He loved croquet, BLTs and horsing around with his nieces and grandnieces and grandnephews. He loved opera and, after leaving New York City, would see opera performances at the local movie theater with his sister, Gretchen. Dow is survived by his wife, Maggie Flanigan; and beloved dog Dixie; sisters, Pam Brown of Kittery, Maine, Bettyna Donelson of Ashburnham, MA; and six nieces. He was predeceased by his sister, Gretchen Dow Simpson of Providence, RI, who died in April. He will be buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your local SPCA or animal humane society. Arrangements are in the care of the Waring-Sullivan Home at Dartmouth, 230 Russells Mills Rd., DARTMOUTH, MA 02748. To leave a note of condolence, www.waring-sullivan.com

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