Richard graduated from Brockton High School in 1963. He was a Vietnam War Era veteran having enlisted in the army after a brief period following graduation. A classically trained musician, he embarked on a music career following his discharge and played for popular headliners of the time including The Four Tops, Martha Reeves as well as many others. Seeking a more stable future, he got into the insurance business in the early seventies achieving immediate success and rising to the level of General Manager of the offices in Cincinnati of one of the largest life insurance companies in the world. At just 29 years old, Richard was the youngest to accomplish this. It was there that he met his future wife, Carol Tenwalde. A few years later, they were reunited in San Francisco where Richard became involved with Silicon Valley startup companies in the 80s. His rapid achievements only continued, after rising to the level of Executive Vice President of Sales of one of the most successful IPOs of the time, Richard retired from formal employment financially independent by the age of 50. By this time, Richard was known as an expert and innovator in the world of high tech sales. Many of the systems of which are standards in the industry today. In the 90’s, he and Carol developed a vineyard estate property in Kenwood, Sonoma County California, producing very high quality, award winning Bela Vista Pinot Noir. They wintered at their home in Honolulu until 2005 at which point they shifted winter residence to the Palm Springs area. In 2017, they left California and settled in the Scottsdale area. Richard is survived by his devoted partner and wife of over 42 years, Carol Tenwalde. He was self-educated with an intense curiosity and mind of his own. He would often say that he read what interested him but learned far more from observation and experience than he ever did from anything else.
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