Richard Drinker Emory

Richard Drinker Emory May 11, 1920 - Dec. 7, 2009 Richard was 89 years old when he died at Sunrise of Oakland Hills where he spent the past two years, after the death of his wife Jean. The staff was so wonderful with him. He seemed to really enjoy himself. Richard was born in Buffalo, New York and raised in Honolulu Hawaii by his grandparents and his ailing mother. He graduated from the University of Michigan, which he chose to attend to be closer to his father. Richard was a very special human being. He was a very gentle, kind, intelligent man with a good sense of humor and a great sense of playfulness. One of his greatest passions was raising orchids. He grew the most beautiful orchids. He was very active within the San Francisco Orchid Society, the Oakland Orchid Society and Diablo View Orchid Society. Richard was also a lover of the out of doors. He was an avid fisherman and made his own flies. He enjoyed many wonderful hikes with the Sierra Club. He helped found 7C Ranch in Euer Valley and loved going there. Richard was in the Navy in the South Pacific during the war and then worked for Pan Am and worked in Bangkok and Shanghai. He returned to the bay area and bought a bankrupt weather stripping company, named it Pemko, and helped it mature into the very successful company it is today. He is survived by his three children; Meris, Richard, and Michael and his wife Nancy; two grandchildren, Justin and Shayla, and 3 great grandchildren Robbie, Dakota and Abigail. A celebration of his life will be held in the spring when the weather warms up. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to a charity of your choice. We will all miss him.