RICHARD TREANOR

1931 - 2022

TREANOR RICHARD BRYANT TREANOR Richard Bryant Treanor, a long-time resident of Southwest Washington, died peacefully on the afternoon of January 20, 2022, at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Northwest at the age of 90. Dick was born on November 23, 1931, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the son of John Holland and Helen Catherine (Bryant) Treanor. Dick grew up in Jamaica Plain in Boston. His father was an educator, the author of many English text books and the headmaster of the Francis Parkman School District in Boston at the time of his retirement in 1960. His paternal grandfather James A., Treanor was also a teacher and later headmaster of the Grover Cleveland Intermediate District in Dorchester. His maternal grandfather O. H. Bryant was a renowned violin maker and dealer in Boston. Dick graduated from Boston Latin School in 1949 and the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester in 1953. He received a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1956. He was a law clerk to a federal judge in Concord, New Hampshire from 1958 to 1960. He came to Washington shortly after the election of John F. Kennedy and started a long career as an attorney with the National Office of the Internal Revenue Service. By the time he retired in March 1987 he had risen to be a branch chief and become known within the agency as "King Richard." He undoubtedly earned this title due to his formulation of many of its now well-known rules, such as "Don't give reasons for not answering the question" (which explains a lot!). After his retirement Dick took great pleasure in devoting more time to his hobby of painting. He painted in oil and watercolor. His style can be described as representational, traditional and nostalgic but with a modern flair, featuring figures, landscapes and urban scenes. His works were exhibited in numerous venues in the Washington region as well as in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Cairo, Egypt. He published a catalog of his works in 2003, My Paintings: Celebrating the Good Life. From 2002 to 2005 he was a board member and treasurer of the International Artists Support Group. Dick was a talented musician as well, playing the clarinet and piano with local groups. He could also play the accordion but, according to Dick, as a true gentleman, he didn't. He even found time to write two novels, The Cloning Dialogue (2005) and The Boys' Ward: The Polio Epidemic (2009), as well as an unpublished play. Dick also remained active in the legal field after his retirement. As a polio survivor, he took particular interest in the history and enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act. He published two books on the subject, We Overcame: The Story of Civil Rights for Disabled People (1993) and Report Card: The Americans with Disabilities Act Tenth Anniversary (2000). He did pro bono work for AARP's Legal Counsel for the Elderly and was for five years a member and later vice chair of the Mayor's Committee on Persons with Disabilities. Stricken with polio in 1945, Dick was nevertheless very active. His favorite form of exercise was swimming, whether in the lake at Camp Medomak in Maine, at his cabin on the Shenandoah or the health club at the Watergate. Dick was very sociable and especially enjoyed travelling. He made almost annual trips to Europe or the Caribbean, usually with a friend or relative. When he was not travelling, he could frequently be found heading for one of the Irish pubs downtown in his motorized wheelchair. Dick will be missed by all who knew him and remembered for his hospitality and wit. He is predeceased by his parents, a younger infant sister Helen and an older brother John H., Jr. He is survived by a nephew John H. III, his sister-in-law Heather and many cousins. Viewing will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. on Friday, January 28 at Robert A. Pumphrey Funeral Home, 7557 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 29 at St. Dominic Church, 630 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20024. In lieu of flowers please donate to the Legal Counsel for the Elderly, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, or World Institute on Disability.Viewing will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. on Friday, January 28 at Robert A. Pumphrey Funeral Home, 7557 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 29 at St. Dominic Church, 630 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20024. In lieu of flowers please donate to the Legal Counsel for the Elderly, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, or World Institute on Disability.