Early Peace Corps evaluator Dick Richter passes away

Richard (Dick) William Richter, 88, died on June 29, 2018 in Issaquah, WA. He is survived by Joan, his wife of 67 years, two sons, Dave (Jenni) and Rob, as well as granddaughter India and grandson Kai, and eight nieces and nephews.

Earlier in his career, shortly after the Peace Corps was started, Dick was an evaluator, traveling to nine different countries, including Afghanistan. Subsequently, he became Deputy Director of the program in Kenya, where he lived for two years with his wife and two young sons, traveling throughout East Africa. This experience opened the world for the Richter family and launched a lifetime of traveling to distant lands.

Dick, who was raised in New York City, next became an award-winning journalist, working for newspapers and television in New York and Washington, DC. After retiring from ABC News and WETA, he was appointed President of Radio Free Asia. Supported by Congress, its mission was to broadcast to those nations in Asia that had no freedom of the press. At Radio Free Asia, he assembled a team of journalists and technicians that created programming broadcast in nine different languages.

RFA’s President Libby Liu, Richter’s successor, said: “As Radio Free Asia’s founding President, Dick Richter set a high example of leadership. Through his diligence, compassion, and vision, he was able to establish a world-class news organization focused on the people it serves. Despite increasing authoritarianism and repressive censorship in Asia, RFA continues to succeed in its congressionally mandated mission. Like many who were fortunate to work alongside Dick as he set a path for the future at RFA, I will dearly miss him. My thoughts are with his wife Joan and their family.”

Nine years ago, Dick and Joan moved from Washington, DC to Timber Ridge, a continuing care community in Issaquah, where they made new friends and became involved in the community, and were close to their two sons and their families.