Richard Steinbach

A longtime Santa Clara resident, Richard died peacefully in his sleep after a short illness. Born in Denver, Colorado, he was the older of two brothers. After graduation from North High School he met the love of his life, Ruth Coffey, at Highland Park Presbyterian Church: they were married in September 1941 and moved to Southern California where he began a long career with Lockheed Aircraft Company. In 1943 he was part of the team that produced the country’s first operational jet fighter, the P-80, and had a vivid recollection of witnessing its first test flight. He then served in the U.S. Navy for the remainder of WW II. After the war the family moved to South Pasadena, where he took advantage of the GI Bill to earn a BS in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA while working full time. In 1957 the family came north to Santa Clara where they have lived ever since. His gift for spatial visualization made him an extraordinary mechanical engineer. He also became a master cabinet maker and produced many pieces of fine furniture. In his retirement he enjoyed travel, including trips to Great Britain and Scandinavia, wood carving, reading, and crossword and jigsaw puzzles. His integrity, talent, and sly sense of humor will be long remembered. Richard was predeceased by his wife, Ruth, and his brother Robert. He is survived by his daughter Gina (Steve) of Glenbrook, Nevada, and son Gary (Marlena) of Mountain View; granddaughters Lisa (Brad), Jill (John), and Jennifer (Gene); and great-grandchildren Alex, Audrey, Zachary, John Marc, Matthew, Chloe, Joel, Spencer, and Lila Ruth. A celebration of Richard’s life will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2015 at 11:00AM at Lima Family Santa Clara Mortuary, 466 N. Winchester Blvd., Santa Clara. In lieu of flowers the family requests that charitable donations may be made to the American Heart Association.