Richard was born in Nasik, India, outside present-day Mumbai, to British parents. At age 6 he was sent to England to receive his education, first at Winchester College and culminating in a M.S. in Chemistry from Cambridge University.
Richard immigrated to Canada in 1962, and moved to Charlotte, in 1967, where he worked as a research chemist and quality control manager for textile and pharmaceutical companies in North Carolina, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Alabama. He also worked in Freeport, Bahamas, from 1981-1985, where he helped establish a new lab for a British pharmaceutical company. He held four U.S. patents.
In 1985, he returned to Charlotte. He met Alice Whitener at a Valentine’s Day party in Charlotte in 1970, and they were married in 1972.
Richard had a gentle but adventurous spirit. As a teenager he toured Europe on a Vespa, and free-climbed cliffs along the English coast. He was an avid boater and windsurfer in the Bahamas. In the 1980s, he helped found the Charlotte chapter of the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), where he served as treasurer and linesman.
Children and dogs were always drawn to him. In his later years, he was a fixture at Reedy Creek Park, where he could be found walking his border collie, Daphne, and greeting the other dogs they met there. He never went anywhere without dog treats in his pockets, just in case.
He is survived by his wife, Alice; daughter Josephine Dolan, of Sussex, England; son Larry, of Alexandria, Va.; four grandchildren; brother William, of London; a large extended family who loved him dearly; and his many close friends. In addition to his parents, Jean and David, he was preceded in death by a son, Robert, and his granddaughter, Madeline Chambers.
A memorial service will be held at Amity Presbyterian Church, to be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Online condolences may be offered at www.mcewenminthillchapel.com
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