In his 86 years, Richard was known to his family and friends by many names: Dick, Rich, Ricardo, Rainbow Man, Dad, Pops, and Gramps. He will be profoundly missed.
Richard treasured his family: the love of his life, Linda, his wife of 54 years, his children John Reiss (Karen) and Laurel Perry (Grant), and his sisters, Ann Reiss Lane (Bert) and the late Jean Berlfein (Harold). To his grandkids Rachel, Owen, Sophia, and Zoë, he was their fun-loving 'Gramps,' to his nieces and nephews he was always their favorite 'Uncle Dick.'
A native of Los Angeles, he graduated from Beverly Hills High, studied at UCLA (a Bruins fan all his life), and then UC Berkeley, where he earned a B.S. in Engineering. In 1959 he and a friend started their own consulting engineering firm in L.A., now Reiss Brown Ekmekji.
Though a civil engineer by profession, he had the soul of an artist. He loved creating furniture in his garage workshop and was a gifted calligrapher and draftsman. In later years he turned to sculpture, exploring the beauty of the human form.
He was an avid gardener and a sportsman: he loved skiing, cycling, backpacking, and playing tennis with his friends. Music and dancing were also a big part of his life: swing dancing with Linda to the sounds of the Big Bands, or slow dancing to a mellow jazz trio.
Rich was quiet, yet thoughtful, a man of integrity, sincerity, and kindness. He had a fine sense of humor, a spirit of playfulness, and was always willing to help a friend.
The family thanks Cindy Malek for the amazing love, care, and joy that she brought to Richard, and to our home, over the past three-plus years. We also want to thank Gloria Aguilar for the warmth, love, and happy heart she has shown Richard throughout many years, and Adelina Elle, for her smiles and her kindness.