Richard M. Segel

SegelRichard M. Segel, 78, on October 10, 2019, at home in Louisville, Colo. Richard was born on November 15, 1940, in New York City, N.Y., to Marjorie Zipser and Herman Segel. As a boy, he developed a love for aviation and combustion engines that lasted a lifetime. He married Bette Butler in 1961 and graduated from Yale University in New Haven, Conn., the following year, later obtaining a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Yale in 1964 and one in business from the University of Chicago in Illinois in 1976. He worked as an engineer or executive in several manufacturing firms, including Pamarco Technologies, where he was chief executive officer, and Dunmore Corporation.

He joined Wrightstown (Pa.) Meeting in 1992 and clerked the House and Grounds Committee and the Trustees and served on the Finance Committee. He also represented the meeting on the George School Board, of which he became the chair. Fellow board members described him as a quintessential Friend: unflappable, able to see the heart of an issue, a consensus builder, and a calm and steady leader. He was known for his ability to listen well, for fostering new and creative initiatives, and for instilling confidence when he presented his own well-thought out ideas. Wrightstown Meeting and the George School Board missed his presence from the moment he and Bette moved in 2012 to be closer to family in Colorado.

He transferred his membership to Boulder (Colo.) Meeting in 2016, serving for several years on the Building and Grounds Committee, including a period as committee convener; assisted the Finance Committee with an internal financial records review; and generously gave his skills and time during his own illness and while he was caregiver to Bette. Friends and loved ones remember him for his quiet, unassuming intelligence, integrity, gentle spirit, strong intellect, and wonderful sense of humor. Richard could make friends anywhere. He loved Bette dearly and was at her side with heart and love for 59 years of marriage. He was predeceased by his son Richard in 1988. He is survived by his wife, Bette Butler Segel; two children, Eleanor Williamson and David Segel; five grandchildren; and his brother, Peter Segel.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Maximum of 400 words or 2000 characters.

Comments on Friendsjournal.org may be used in the Forum of the print magazine and may be edited for length and clarity.