Richard Daniel Prince

June 1, 1928 - June 18, 2023

Early morning Sunday, June 18th, (Father’s Day), Richard Daniel Prince - the man we loved -husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend, took his last breath. He left us peacefully in the comfort of home, feeling the loving touch of family beside him.

Reaching his 95th birthday and beyond was remarkable considering the fatal grip Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) had on him in his last years.  His heart and will were strong until the end – a central truth in his full life.

Richard was born in Spokane, WA, to Maurice and Blanche Prince on June 1, 1928, the youngest of three children. He thought south hill Spokane a perfect place to grow up and graduated from Lewis and Clark “the best high school!” in 1946.

He enrolled at the University of Washington, during which time he joined the Naval Reserve, with weekend duties at Sandpoint Naval Air station. In 1950, he graduated, Cum Laude, with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. That summer and fall he worked, earning money to travel to Europe with his brother and sister to visit Swiss relatives and major sights in France, Germany, Spain and Italy. 

In autumn of 1951 Richard returned to the University of Washington to begin four tough years at the newly created School of Dentistry. There he excelled academically, being inducted to the dental honor society Omicron Kappa Upsilon and graduating in 1955 with his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree.

With credentials in hand, he transitioned to active duty in the Navy as a new Lieutenant JG dental officer at Camp Pendleton, CA.  Next, Japan was home for two enjoyable tours. This led him to commit to a career in the Navy where he could combine his work and love of travel. He spent the next ten years alternating between land and sea duty.

In 1966, while stationed at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, CA he met Karen, his future love and wife, on a blind date arranged by mutual friends. After a one-year tour with the 1st Marine Division, in Da Nang, Vietnam, Richard and Karen married in August 1970. Thus began their adventure in life together for 52+ rewarding years including four more naval tours and the joy of welcoming their children: Danielle and Eric.

Richard retired from active service in 1985, with the rank of Captain. He was the recipient of several Commendation and Meritorius Service medals, a member of the American Dental Association, UW Dental Alumni and other dental organizations. Throughout his career, Richard earned the respect of his colleagues and appreciation of his patients for his superb dental care.  

With his trademark curiosity and enthusiasm, retirement gave him freedom to spend more time being a loving, active dad and pursuing his other interests. He took classes in anthropology, life drawing and architecture; studied French in preparation for our family adventure of living in France for one school year; read history avidly and listened devotedly to classical music which nourished him. It was his delight to name the composer within moments. He was very good at it.

He shared his wonder of astronomy and biology with the children and created bedtime stories they adored.

He was an ardent practitioner of physical fitness. Neighbors remember Richard as the guy they saw jogging backwards “to exercise different muscles.” He summited Mt. Rainier four times – the last with Karen. Family adventures included backpacking, camping and many hikes. He remained active well into his later years. At age 89 he completed the 12k Bloomsday race/walk in his beloved Spokane.

Many words describe him: gifted photographer, precise artist with pen and pencil, witty, mischievous, idealistic, humanist, champion of science and its logical design. Woe to those who challenged his fierce defense of the metric system!

Richard felt his best legacy was our children. Yes, yet we who remain will remember and honor him for his gifts to us of love, of exemplifying integrity, generosity and dependability; his amusement with and affection for our tabby cats, his delightful pumpkin carvings and many large screen family slide shows, always interrupted by calls of “wow! oohs, ahs” and laughter.

His siblings, Stanford and Elaine, preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife, Karen, daughter, Danielle, (Andy), son, Eric; brother-in-law, Bruce, (Pat); grandchildren Leoncie, Luka, and Madison; nephew Richard Pratt (Karen) and nieces, Maura Pratt Hagmueller, (Gary) Kimberly Taynton (Ken) and Kami Miller; great-nephews, Tyler Pratt, Reed and Blake Hagmueller, and great-nieces, Mackenzie Pratt and Kyah Miller Moore (Andrew).

The family is deeply grateful for the caring support provided by Providence Hospice of Seattle.

At Richard’s request there will be no formal services.  Contributions in his memory are welcome at the Seattle Symphony or Cure PSP.