Richard E. Chittenden

He was born on August 13, 1929, in Seattle, WA, to Theodore and Myriam Chittenden. After attending high school in Edmonds, WA, Rich went east to Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Following in his grandfather’s footsteps (designer of the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, Seattle WA), he received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He was a member of Sigma Phi, a social fraternity, and Quill & Dagger, Pi Delta Epsilon and Chi Epsilon, honorary fraternities. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Air Force and served in Korea. He returned home and earned a Masters of Civil Engineering from UC Berkeley and became a California Registered Civil Engineer.

Rich worked in construction for several years with Morrison Knudsen Co. and Peter Kiewit Sons. During those years, he worked on projects in Idaho, Colorado and northern and southern California. It was in Southern California that he met Glenda Nelson. They were married in 1959, in Longmont, CO. In 1966, they gave up their nomadic life to settle in Ventura. Rich finished his professional career by working 25 years at the US Naval CB base in Port Hueneme, CA. The last several years were spent as an officer training instructor at CECOS. In this capacity, he traveled extensively throughout the United States and as far away as Italy, Singapore and Japan teaching at US Naval officer schools, but his favorite work assignment was always Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii. His travels there gave him a chance to get to know all of the Hawaiian Islands and get up close and personal with volcanoes.

Rich loved the outdoors, skied until two broken legs made it unwise, played golf at Soule Park and loved a good game of croquet in the backyard with his grandchildren, who will miss him.

He is survived by his beloved wife of nearly 53 years, Glenda; his son David and wife Suzanne of Ventura and their three children, Samantha, Zane and Rowen; daughter Caryn Craige and husband Rob of Charlotte, NC and their children, Connor and Sarah; and his sister Jeretta Graham, of Edmonds, WA. He is preceded in death by his mother, father and brother, Ted.

Following Rich’s wishes, there will be no memorial service. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in his memory to Ventura County Rescue Mission, PO Box 5545, Oxnard, CA 93031-5545.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Ted Mayr Funeral Home and Crematory, 3150 Loma Vista Rd., Ventura.