Richard D. Aplin

Richard D. Aplin died on September 17th, 2025, at his home at RiverWoods in Exeter, NH. He was ninety-six. He may have lived to a hundred if he had eaten vegetables other than coleslaw or beets.

Born on July 7th, 1929, in Middlebury, Vermont, he was the son of Richard D. Aplin and Amanda (Davison) Aplin.

Dick, “Doc Aplin”, was a legendary faculty member of Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, for more than 40 years. He was a popular professor known for his wit and sense of humor. His Intro to Business Management Course was among the largest courses ever due to his reputation. The class size, over 800, exceeded the largest lecture hall, so many students had to sit in smaller TV rooms that piped his lectures on video. Because of the size, he was one of the first teachers to develop a team of undergraduate teaching assistants to help. They graded, led class labs, and interacted with students while he wrote entertaining lectures that famously included wearing a toga or tearing off his shirt. Becoming one of Doc’s assistants was a highly sought-after position. Dick was a teacher first and foremost, but engaged in a variety of research and projects to gain a better understanding of the profitability of different products within the incredibly complex sales environment of supermarkets.

Everyone, EVERYONE, who worked with him loved him, and he changed many of their lives for the better with his encouraging words.

After retiring, he moved with his wife, JoAnne, to RiverWoods at Exeter, a continuing care retirement community in Exeter, NH. Not surprisingly, Dick immediately took a leadership role. He chaired numerous committees and served as a board member. Dick started a University at RiverWoods where residents led classes for employees on various topics. His steady hand, intellect, and humor guided the Riverwoods community forward.

After Dick’s wife of 52 years, JoAnne, passed, he fell head over heels in love with Peggy Hoyt. Their wedding was the first wedding held at RiverWoods. Peggy died in 2015. He filled the gap she left in his life with a few close friends. Throughout his retirement, Dick developed friendships through playful banter with anyone who would go along with it.

RiverWoods is one of the finest care communities. The family thanks the employees from the bottom of their hearts for the loving care they gave Dick, his wives, and the whole family during the twenty-eight years he called RiverWoods home.

Dick leaves behind his five children, Priscilla March, David Aplin, Leslie Wharton, Beth Conrad, and Mark Aplin, and their spouses; two stepchildren; eight grandchildren; eleven great-grandchildren; some very special friends; and a half-empty bottle of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce. The family will miss him forever.

One more great-grandchild will be born before his memorial, which will take place at the Boulders on the RiverWoods Exeter Campus on November 10th, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.

Please consider honoring Dick by a gift to the RiverWoods Exeter Scholarship Fund, which helps RiverWoods employees.