Richard Mikel Mover

Richard Mikel Mover, 69, died on May 18, 2024 after a brief illness. He was born on November 6, 1954 to Helen and Eliot Mover and grew up in Newton, MA. He was a good-natured, adventurous, and mischievous boy, and kept the house filled with friends; most often Ben Atkins with whom he remained lifelong friends. He attended Camp Samoset in New Hampshire in the summers and was always up for a pick-up game of ice hockey in winter. He became a gifted artist and loved music as well, listening to it, attending concerts, and playing the guitar with friends. He was ambitious, working at a local antique shop and several other jobs and using his savings to buy a small motorcycle-which terrified his mother.

After graduating from Newton South High School in 1972 he enrolled at the University of Wisconsin, exploring music and art, becoming a vegetarian, and enjoying midnight skates around Lake Mendota adjoining the campus. After two years he moved to Austin, Texas. He took to the laid-back Austin scene of the mid 1970s, enjoying the music, the food, and the opportunities for hiking, biking and being outdoors, and it became his home for the rest of his life.

In 1980, he found a new passion. With the arrival of Nicole Immer, he became a dad, and that was probably his favorite, and most important role. As laid-back as he was, Richard could be a strict (but loving) dad, at least with regards to matters of safety or health.

Although he often worked more than one job to make ends meet, his primary employment was with the state of Texas, working with blind/deaf children and youths at the Texas School for the Blind. Initially in a personal attendant/ custodial role, he became adept at sign language, learned techniques visually impaired individuals use in activities of daily living by training blindfolded, and steadily gained greater responsibility. Ahead of his time, Richard taught Nicole simple signs to use before she was able to talk.

Along the way he managed to fit in going back to college to finish his degree, graduating from St. Edward’s University with a degree in psychology.

Towards the end of his career, he supervised 8 staff whose mission was the help the blind students at the Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center gain the skills needed to find competitive employment. Richard was a wonderful model for the students, always conducting himself in a professional manner. He also was very active reaching out to community businesses and organizations to help place students in volunteer positions so they could apply the blindness skills they learned at the center to a work environment. He was an inspiration to both students and staff and was dedicated to improving the lives of others.

In 2013 Richard suffered a stroke that prematurely ended his career-but not his love of life, his daughter, grandchildren, family, friends, and music.

Richard is survived by daughter Nicole Immer and her husband Jason Clark, granddaughters Madison and Riley Clark, sister Heidi Mover and her husband Andrew Rittenburg, niece Alyssa Rittenburg.

There will be a Memorial Service to celebrate Richard's life at 11:00 a.m., on Sunday, June 9, 2024 at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home in Pflugerville, Texas.