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BORN
1942
DIED
2020
Richard Crystal Obituary
September 21, 1942
December 29, 2020
Resident of Mountain View
Richard "Dick" Crystal passed away on December 29, 2020 in Mountain View, California at the age of 78.
Dick was born on September 21, 1942, to Mary and Morris Crystal in New York, NY. He and his family lived in Brooklyn, NY before moving to Mahopac, NY where he attended high school. Dick received his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in 1964. He married his sweetheart Susan the week after college graduation.
In 1967, Dick received his PhD in chemical engineering from RPI. He and his young family moved to Rochester, NY to work for Xerox corporation. Xerox would bring Richard and his family to Dallas, Texas and Los Altos, California where he worked at Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center) for more than 20 years.
A life-long inventor, Richard had over 50 patents to his name including designing the plastic lid for coffee cans at age 18, bullet proof ballistic nylon for bullet proof jackets used in the Vietnam war, the daisy wheel for typewriters and printers, and more recently he changed the printing industry by inventing ink jet refills for printer cartridges saving consumers money while reducing waste.
Dick loved spending time with his family on their sailboat or at home. He collected antique typewriters and enjoyed daily hikes in nature at the Rancho San Antonio Preserve. In addition, he and Sue loved to travel and had visited countries on all continents except Antarctica. He was a long-time member of Congregation Kol Emeth in Palo Alto.
Dick is survived by his wife Susan, his children Steve and Ruth Ann, son-in-law Jerome, as well as his grandchildren Charlotte and Sophie. Dick was predeceased by his sister Joan Molnar and his parents Mary and Morris Crystal.
Funeral services took place on December 31, 2020.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Dick's memory to Hebrew Free Loan, Jewish Family and Children's Services or Congregation Kol Emeth.
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Memories and Condolences
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Sponsored by San Jose Mercury News.
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January 24, 2021
My sincere condolences during this difficult time. May the God who comforts those who mourn grant you the strength and courage you need to cope with your sorrow.God cares for you and is near to all those calling on him.
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