Richard Imboden

In the wee hours of the morning on Jan. 25, 2008, Richard passed away peacefully in his sleep at the home in Vacaville which he shared with his life partner, Laurie Ott. His passing came as a complete surprise, as he had always been blessed with unbelievable energy and good health.

Richard was born in Napa in 1940. He spent his childhood and much of his early adulthood living and working in Napa. At the age of 18, he bought his first house and began his career as a carpet layer, working for Blackney & Marsh. He worked for 25 years and with his keen eye for perfection, he learned not only the fine art of carpet laying, but also carpentry and home repair. These skills came easily to him and, eventually, he became known as the man who could fix anything.

In 1984, Richard went to work for the Solano Count Sheriff's Department. His work there was every bit as impressive as his carpentry skills and he quickly rose through the ranks and was promoted to correctional sergeant.

For 17 years, he did his best to meet the needs of the department and one of his greatest sources of pride was that during those 17 years, he only missed work five days due to illness. He was a tireless worker, and one who was (after his retirement) always greeted with a hearty handshake or hug from the people who had worked with him. Those handshakes and hugs made his day and he always rested peacefully because he knew, in his heart, that he had consistently done his best for them.

Following his retirement in 2000, Richard finally had the opportunity to embrace his lifelong passion for woodworking. Those who knew him well will probably remember him as always standing in his garage at his trusty Shop Smith, sawing and routing unbelievable custom cabinets and unique creations dreamed up by his friends and family.

He could recreate exact duplicate pieces of furniture from a photograph, match existing pieces which needed replacing or repair, or simply come up with one-of-a-kind creation which he jokingly said "it may not be pretty, but it's stout and it'll be here long after I'm gone." He was a modest man ... because everything he created was absolutely beautiful and he was considered to be a master wood craftsman.

He was also a member of the Vacaville Elk's Lodge, past Wagonmaster for the Rov'n Elk's R.V. Club and a 15 year member for the Vaca Employee's Bowling League.

Richard is survived by his two daughters, Janelle (Lisa) and Sherri, and his two stepsons, Nathan (Nicole) and Clay. He was also blessed with four cherished grandchildren, Christopher, Alisha, Kaydin and Chayse. Additionally, he leaves behind his sister Bernice (Bob) and her two children, Barbie and Ken; sister-in-law, Katie and her two children, Josh and Jenner; his father, Joseph, and his brother Dennis. He was preceded in death by his mother, Dorothy.

Richard will be missed, oh so much, by his family, friends and neighbors. There is now an unbelievable void in all our lives. We invite all of the cherished people in his life to attend his memorial service which will be celebrated at 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1, at Vacaville's Community Presbyterian Church at 425 Hemlock St. Refreshments will be shared in the church's Social Hall following the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, whose Web site is www.alzfdn.org, or to the Community Presbyterian Church Building Fund.