We are sad to share the news that our father, Richard (Rich) Berlin Lane, passed away at home on July 4, at the age of 75. We are devastated by the loss of our dad, but our minds are eased knowing that he died at home and peacefully in his sleep.
Rich was a larger-than-life character. If you met him even once, you never forgot him. He was endlessly positive and carefree, even in times of intense difficulty and sadness. When his wife was dying of cancer in 2005, she said “Your dad is the best person to have around when death is knocking. He makes even death seem like no big deal.”
Rich was the proudest father and grandfather alive, and nobody will ever convince us otherwise. His very patient friends certainly knew this; he would go on and on, gushing over his kids’ wins and sugar coating their losses. He never missed one of his son’s games or daughter’s plays. And when the grandchildren came along, his enthusiasm only grew. Driving to Connecticut and Vermont to see them play lacrosse, baseball, football, volleyball, swimming and every other possible event or performance. The man lived for his kids and grandkids.
Rich was also proof that a positive mindset and resilient attitude toward life are integral to a long life. Nobody loved butter and salt, bourbon and cigars, and all of life’s indulgences more than our dad. If a long, healthy life was dependent purely on good diet and exercise, we would have lost him years ago. His total and utter joy for life gave him at least an extra decade.
In 1966, Rich entered the Naval Academy in Annapolis. During his time at the academy, he played in the famous Army-Navy game. Rich graduated from West Virginia University in 1970 and then earned his J.D. from Dickinson Law School, after which he practiced law for several years. But he was far too much of a free spirit to adhere to the rigid structure of a law practice. From starting a leasing company to opening an arcade and vending business to finally retiring from a state job with a good pension, Rich’s career path took many twists and turns. But from the highs to the lows and back up again, his carefree outlook never faltered. He was a born storyteller and could turn even the saddest or most embarrassing experience into an amazing, often hilarious, story.
In 1994, Rich married the love of his life, his wife and partner of nearly 20 years, Carol Smith. Carol and Rich loved traveling, especially to NYC and Stone Harbor, where they spent many weeks every year. They shared a love for life and people and will go down in history as the most epic game night hosts of all time, a well-deserved and undisputed title.
Rich is survived by his brother Louis Lane (Liane), his son and namesake, Richard Berlin Lane, Jr. (Megan Lane), his daughter Amy Lane (Jas Singh), and his five grandchildren: Ashlyn Carst, Caroline Carst, Jesse Berlin Carst, Evelyn Lane, and Wheeler Lane. He is predeceased by his wife, Carol Ann Smith.
We are so grateful that Rich got to see his oldest grandchild, Ashlyn Carst, graduate from Temple University in May. In addition to helping put her through college in a financial sense, he was her biggest cheerleader, from start to finish. Graduation day was one of the proudest moments of his life.
We are heartbroken at the loss of our father, but we take comfort in knowing that he loved life and lived it to the fullest, up until the very end. Beaming over life’s little joys, endlessly proud of his family, and always the life of the party. Rest in peace, dad. We love you and will never, ever forget you.
There will be a celebration of life at Duke’s Riverside Bar and Grille on Thursday, July 11th from 4-7 pm.
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