Richard F Widrig

Richard Frederick Widrig was born on August 27, 1952, in Richland, Washington, to parents Dick and Shirley. He was the first of their four children and was known as being the most independent (and stubborn) of all of his siblings. Rich was described by his family as being excellent at everything he did. He started skiing since he was four years old, and was able to conquer the most challenging and dangerous of mountains, the double diamond. He was talented enough to become a professional, but decided not to. Rich was quite an athlete and played for his high school baseball and basketball teams. He also enjoyed the outdoors, and often went hunting with his father. Rich was an avid golfer, and was passionate about playing golf until the very end.

Rich wasn't just an athlete, he was incredibly smart, driven, and ambitious. He excelled in his studies, and in 1974, he earned his undergraduate degree in biochemistry from Washington State, and in 1976, his master's degree in finance from UCLA.

Rich used every bit of his diverse knowledge and experience to become very successful in the corporate world. Soon after graduating, he worked for two well-known oil companies, and then became the treasurer of Tiger International. Because of Rich's expertise, operations ran smoothly and efficiently, and eventually the company was bought out by FedEx. Rich moved on to become chief financial officer of Western Waste, handling billions of dollars. Seven years later, the company was bought out, and Rich retired at 45 years old.

Rich and Kim had their first date on New Years Eve, and eventually got married on May 29, 2005. They enjoyed many of the same interests, including golfing and travelling. Rich and Kim enjoyed travelling internationally, and also liked taking trips domestically in their RV, as well as camping and fishing. Rich was diagnosed with tongue cancer in 2014, which eventually spread to his lungs. He spent four years being a fighter, until his very last breath. Even during his most difficult times, Rich made every effort to be with his family and continue to have adventures with his wife. He spent his last day doing something he always loved, being at the ocean, on a trip with his wife Kim, taking steps towards his next journey.