Richard Edward Sexton died peacefully at his home in Clovis, CA on February 20, 2023. He was born on April 5, 1946 in Alhambra, CA to Richard & Lorraine Sexton, the older of identical twin boys, and eldest of eight children.
Coming from a strong Catholic family, he entered the seminary during his junior year in high school. After college in Newton, NJ, he discovered his passion for teaching. Returning to California, he left the seminary, and found his love - Ann Derse - while at Holy Names College. They were married in 1974, and made their first home in Ojai, California. He was a teacher and Vice Principal at Villanova Preparatory School. Rick and Ann started a family in Ojai, then moved to Marquette, MI, where their family grew to four children - Erin, Matt, John, and Megan. He was the Superintendent for the Diocese of Marquette until his family moved back to California where he became the Superintendent of the Diocese of Fresno. He held the position for 26 years, positively impacting the Catholic education of countless students.
Near the end of his position as Superintendent, Richard was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He served the Diocese of Fresno until 2014, when the disease made working too difficult. Rick joins those who preceded him, including his parents, his twin brother Robert, and his brother Edward. He is survived by his five other siblings, his wife Ann, all four children, and five grandchildren. We would like to thank Hinds Hospice for their assistance and care during Rick’s final days.
Services will be held at St. Paul Newman Center on Friday, March 10th at 10:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to any of Rick & Ann’s favorite charities, including Parkinson’s Foundation (www.parkinson.org), Poverello House (poverellohouse.org), Central California Food Bank (ccfoodbank.org), and Catholic Charities (ccdof.org).
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.whitehurstsullivan.com for the Sexton family.
