Richard H. Sass

Richard Sass lived the American dream. He was proof that hard work and dedication to his family are all that’s necessary to define success.

Richard was adopted and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota, by his parents Herman and Bernice. He and his mother relocated to Pendleton, Oregon, after his father and mother divorced when he was seven. At the age of 14, Richard and his mother returned to Minnesota, settling in Osseo, where he made many friends and excelled as the pitcher on his school’s varsity baseball team, and as a top player on the varsity basketball team.

It was 1959, and the lure of California – its warm weather, burgeoning economy and job market – called to many young adults, Richard among them. He and his friend Mike Balmes graduated from high school, and shortly afterward took a bus to California. He found plenty of opportunity for a hard-working guy, and took a job in the fledgling aerospace industry that would drive California for the next 20 years. At Babcock Electronics, he was proud to have worked on the first guidance systems for drone aircraft.

More importantly, it was at Babcock where Richard met and fell madly in love with a cute spunky lady named Norma. After a year-and-a-half love affair, they married on April 15, 1961.

Richard and Norma settled into their personal version of the California dream. They soon bought their first house, in Huntington Beach. It wasn’t long before their dog was not enough, and they started a family by adopting their first son, Rick. Soon after Rick arrived, Richard changed jobs to begin work at Philco, a division of Ford. As a Production Manager, he managed the Sidewinder Missile project.

A little more than a year later, Norma gave birth to a second son they named Mark. The expanded family meant they needed a larger house, and The Sass family left the beach community behind to move to the South Orange County community of El Toro, home to the El Toro Marina Base, and acres and acres of orange and eucalyptus trees. It was a wonderful place to call home and to raise children.

Realizing Norma was outnumbered in the family mix, they decided to add Diane to their brood. Adoption was again the strategy. The best part of the plan was that big brothers Rick and Mark got to help their parents “pick out” their new little sister.

In a rare state of confusion throughout his otherwise remarkably stable and well-planned life, Richard accepted a job transfer in 1974, and moved the whole family to Langhorne PA. While there, they enjoyed seeing all of the east coast tourist sites. But it was not long before realizing a terrible mistake had been made, and that the Pennsylvania weather simply did NOT compare to that of California. The family moved back in 1976, to a one-horse town called Norco. It was absolutely perfect for Richard, Norma, 3 kids, 2 dogs and 2 horses. The term “Inland Empire” had not yet been coined. Houses and land were cheap. Schools were new and modern. Richard and Norma had found the next perfect place to grow their children into successful young adults.

It was in 1980 when Richard started his last aerospace job at Hughes Aircraft, as a Program Manager, where he continued his work on missile systems and radar systems. Stable in his job, and with the children and his animals thriving in the rural environment, he settled into a comfortable routine as a successful husband, father and career aerospace worker that many men only dreamed of.

Family driving vacations were always important to Richard, and he orchestrated them carefully. Much thought was given to choosing the right campgrounds, side trips and routes that would allow as much fun as possible, but always combined with the opportunity to visit with friends who lived far away, and who remained important to him.

Richard took an early retirement from Hughes Aircraft, and decided to obtain his real estate license, which is how he filled much of his retirement time. He assisted friends and others in their sales and purchases until his failing health precluded him from doing so.

Richard and Norma lived happily and contentedly in their Norco home until he died on December 29. He died exactly as he wanted to, in the quiet of his sleep, after being snugly tucked into bed by Norma, his loving wife of nearly 51 years. He died knowing his menagerie of animals -- who were important to him until the end -- remained with him.

Richard Sass set an example as a hard working man who did not let the lack of a college degree dictate his professional or personal circumstances. He knew the priorities of work, family and fun, and balanced them successfully, to create a loving, caring home for his wife and children. He lived well, but not large. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him.