85, of Honolulu, passed away peacefully on May 17, 2021, with his wife Marianne and family by his side.Born in Honolulu, Richard was able to enjoy the fullness of island living: swimming, surfing, body surfing, fishing, boating, and exploring his surroundings.
After graduating from Roosevelt in 1954, he entered the Air Force, and was quickly promoted to Tactical Instructor due to his knowledge, discipline, and skills acquired from his National Guard ROTC training while in high school. With eight years of service in the Air Force in various capacities and also fighting in the Korean War, Richard was honorably discharged in 1962.
His talents of keen observation and strong business skills earned him a plethora of jobs. His primary job started as a mail carrier (where he met his future wife), then advanced to Postmaster of Waimanalo, finally becoming the Western Regional Marketing Manager for the US Postal Service, until his retirement. A man who enjoyed keeping busy even with a full-time job, he also dedicated 24 years to the Honolulu Police Department, a manager for Longs Kahala, a manager at The Ranch House Restaurant, a waterskiing instructor, and an owner of a pool cleaning service. After taking full retirement from the postal service, he donated his time as a docent at Hanauma Bay for 15 years, a golf course field marshal at Hawaii Kai Golf Course, and led informational walking tours through Chinatown. With so much extra energy, he studied kinesiology and nutrition, and diligently worked toward being a power weight lifter, placing 2nd in bench press at the World Nationals in Vegas in 2000, and 1st place in the Sonny Ronolo Power Unlimited in 2001.
As a life long car lover, Richard owned a number of pristine vehicles: 1955 Thunderbird, a Buick Grand National, a Corvette Stingray, a BMW, a MB SLK 250, and a Chevy S-10 pickup. Each vehicle needed to run perfectly and look spectacular.
Richard found his forever mate in 1965 as he was delivering mail to a recent nurse graduate from Columbus, Ohio. After three years of dating, Marianne Rose Hennerfeind became his wife in 1969, and they celebrated 52 years of marriage in November.
Richard will be missed tremendously by his wife, family, and friends. He requested to be cremated, and a private ceremony. He also requested that no flowers, koden, or gifts be received, but a donation in his name could be sent to Hanauma Bay research program at: http://www.friendsofhanaumabay.org/donations/.
Arrangements Provided By: Hosoi Garden Mortuary
