RICHARD SHAW MINTURN

1949 - 2025

MINTURN, Richard Shaw Age 75, died during surgery at UVA Hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia, on February 10, 2025, after a sudden illness. Richard was the beloved husband of Suzanne Freeman of Charlottesville; they celebrated 50 years of marriage in August 2024. He is survived by Suzanne; his daughter, Molly Minturn; his son, Jake Minturn and his wife, Brennan Trick; as well as four grandchildren, Beatrix (Bebe) Wolfe, Nina Szwabowski, Hammond (Ham) Minturn and Margaret (Maggie) Minturn, all of Charlottesville. He is also survived by his brother, Robert Minturn and his husband, Dana Berg of Boston, Massachusetts; his sister, Mary Wood of South Hamilton, Massachusetts; and many nieces and nephews. Richard was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Bowne Minturn and Mary Yorke (McCawley) Minturn Haskins of Hamilton, Massachusetts. Born on November 1, 1949, in Beverly, Massachusetts, Dick developed a deep love for the sea at an early age. He was an avid sailor and he taught at Hurricane Island Outward Bound School in Maine. He graduated from Groton School in 1967, where his passion for literature, history and design began to flourish. He went on to attend Harvard University, graduating in 1971. After marrying Suzanne in 1974, the couple moved to Charlottesville, where Richard earned his master's in architecture from the University of Virginia. In 1979, Richard and Suzanne moved back to Massachusetts, where they spent the next two decades raising their children. In addition to working at various architecture firms, Dick coached his children's soccer teams and tried (but failed) to make his children love sailing as much as he did. The family returned to Charlottesville in 2000, where Dick began working at the University of Virginia, first as a project manager in Facilities Management and later as senior academic facility planner within the provost's office. Throughout his career at UVA, he played a pivotal role in organizing the capital plans of academic units, contributing to major projects and developing policies for space governance. Dick loved his work at Virginia, finding great purpose in advancing the mission of the school, while enjoying the company of his colleagues. He was adept at navigating complex situations and distilling the complicated into straight-forward action. Over his near 25 years of service at UVA, he became a beloved colleague for many, known for approaching his work with kindness, wisdom and a good sense of humor. Some of his proudest achievements included working on the renovation and addition to UVA's Shannon Library, the new School of Data Science facility and the major new building for the Contemplative Sciences Center. Richard retired in October 2024 and in his retirement, he found joy in hiking with his grandchildren, planning travel with Suzanne and walking his beloved dog, Flo. He looked forward to volunteering with Preservation Piedmont, where he had recently joined the board. Dick gave his family his whole heart and delighted in seeing it grow, he was proud to have recently earned the title of "Best Poppy Ever" from his grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations in Richard's memory may be made to the Charlottesville/Albemarle Rescue Squad, the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA or Preservation Piedmont, with attention to the Woolen Mills Chapel. A Celebration of Life will be held on March 22, 2025, at 10 a.m., at the UVA Chapel.

View the online memorial for Richard Shaw MINTURN