RICHARD DEGAN Obituary

Richard J. Degan October 8, 1921 - July 3, 2012 Richard "Dick" Degan passed away peacefully at his home early Tuesday morning surrounded by family. Born in San Francisco, Dick graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY in 1944, and served in the Pacific during World War II. In 1945 his ship was torpedoed; that the torpedo did not explode, we are all blessed. After serving his country, Dick met and married Rita Dreher in 1947. They had four children who they raised in Greenbrae. Dick worked in the shipping business for over 30 years, primarily for American President Lines. Advancing to Vice President of the Far East in 1973, Dick and Rita lived for several years in Japan, before returning to Greenbrae. Dick joined East Asiatic Shipping Lines as Vice President of Marketing and Sales after leaving American President Lines. After his retirement in 1986, he assisted an entrepreneur in her industrial shelving company that designed and built shelves for businesses, home and health care facilities. Dick enjoyed playing golf and travel abroad with his wife and friends. He was a loyal fan of the San Francisco 49ers and San Francisco Giants; though he did at times express his frustration at their performance, he never wavered in his support. He was active at Saint Sebastian's church, serving as Eucharistic Minister at Marin General Hospital and a board member of the Young at Heart club. Dick was a member of the Seniors in Retirement (SIRs). As a member of the American Merchant Marine Veterans, SS Jeremiah O'Brien Chapter, Dick worked on the team to have a Merchant Marine memorial dedicated at the Marin County Civic Center in 2003, and to establish veterans' benefits for Merchant Marine service members. On March 1, 2011, surrounded by their children, their spouses and grandchildren, Dick and Rita celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. On October 8, 2011, Dick celebrated his 90th birthday. Dick loved his family and enjoyed family gatherings, including travel to Hawaii, for many family celebrations, barbeques and special holiday celebrations. He was loved by many, had a great sense of humor and many longtime friends. Dick is survived by his loving wife Rita, daughters Susan Leroy, Christine Degan and her partner BJ Beck, Virginia Kynaston and her husband Jeff Kynaston, Richard J. Degan, Jr. and his wife Susan, and grandchildren Jenna and Ryan Degan, nieces Margaret Masters and Diane Thomas, nephew Robert J. Dreher, Jr and great nieces and nephews. A funeral mass will be held Thursday July 12th at 11am at Saint Sebastian's Catholic Church, 373 Bon Air Road in Greenbrae. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the National Liberty Ship Memorial, SS Jeremiah O'Brien, 1275 Columbus Avenue, Suite 300, San Francisco, CA 94133.

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Published by San Francisco Chronicle from Jul. 5 to Jul. 6, 2012.

Memories and Condolences
for RICHARD DEGAN

3 Entries

Bill Bowman

July 9, 2012

Dear Ginny and family,
I was so sad to hear of your Dad's passing. Even though he didn't know me all that well, both he & your Mom always made me feel like a 'member of the family'...I'm sure due to the fact that I was your friend for so many years. (and still am)
My heartfelt sympathy's to your Mom and rest of the family. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.
In loving memory,
Bill Bowman

July 9, 2012

Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. May your memories bring you comfort. Love Deb and Monica

Jim Seymour

July 8, 2012

It surprises me that in two days there have been no tributes to Dick, but I suppose that is only an indication that he outlived those who knew him. In my case, Dick would have a tough time outliving me because he was a generation ahead of me.
I had the good fortune to encounter Dick when I was only beginning my career as a young lawyer at American President Lines in January 1971. Although I only worked with Dick for the four years I was at APL, we worked on the same floor barely thirty feet apart and saw each other daily when he or I was not traveling.
Dick was a gentlemen, always with a smile and a friendly word, a knowledgeable steamship man, and a man on whom you could rely.
Those were still the days of RKD although that soon changed. Dick did not let the pot stirring of Fry Consultants and the arrival of Peter Albert affect how he did his job, and that took considerable adjustment in my opinion.
APL was just beginning to enter the container age, the breakbulk C-2's, C-3's (APL was still sailing a number of those in 1971), and the Mariners (C-4's), which were only 12 or fewer years on the scene at that point, were soon to disappear.
Dick dealt with all these dramatic changes with a smile, skill, and a great demeanor. He was one of the “great generation,” but like his fellow members of that era, he undoubtedly would say he only did his job as he saw it.
In crossing bar, Dick, you have left us all with a life to remember with admiration.

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