Page 3 - March 2019 NBY News

Senior in Action: Robert Richards
Senior in Action:
Senior in Action:
Senior in Action:
Senior in Action:
Robert Richards
Robert Richards
Robert Richards
Robert Richards
by Marilee Marrero Stefenhagan

Senior in Action
photo shows Avid
Bicyclist Robert
Richards as a “young
man of 68” when
bicycling Cycle Oregon
in 2009".

In 1941, Robert Richards was born in France to Switzerland, off to Germany,
Fresno, California at Burnett Sanitarium. then home again in Holland. 750 miles
This private hospital, founded in 1897, total! We had to walk some of the steep
formerly operated as Celia Burnett’s mountains in Switzerland and soared
boarding house. In 1945, the Sanitarium down them! Not a single flat tire
sold to a nonprofit corporation, Fresno until...believe this!... just as we entered
Community Hospital. The Richards family the outskirts of Amsterdam, we got one
moved from Fresno to Redwood Estates, a on the front wheel! I squeezed the front
beautiful mountain community which brake by mistake and wheel turned into a
Robert loved. When the family relocated pretzel and we tumbled to the ground.
to San Jose, Robert begged permission to (She was tempted to divorce me right
finish the school year with his classmates. then and there!) INTERESTING
At 9 years old, he rode his bicycle 5 miles FOOTNOTE... as we cycled along the
each way to carpool to his old school. Rhine in Germany, an ancient geezer in
Robert shared, “I was popular in high his old Gestapo uniform stumbled out of
school. I was president of my senior class, and the woods and tried to knife me! As soon
played the lead in the senior play. Sadly, as I spotted him, I kicked it up a notch.
Camden High School in San Jose was demolished My bride hated Germany because her
in 1980, and a shopping mall built on the site of sister nearly died of starvation during the
my former alma mater.” After HS graduation last year of Nazi occupation, when the
in 1959, he attended University of the German military hoarded food.”
Pacific in Stockton to study speech and Robert travels annually to
drama. He found “summer stock” jobs Holland, bicycling with two of his
until his senior year, playing the lead in adult children and being “Opa Bob”
“Miser” and “Send Me No Flowers.” He to his five grandchildren who live
joked about being interviewed for Not there. After years of a long work
Born Yesterday newspaper because years commute from Lancaster to a law
ago he was in a stage version of “Born firm in West Los Angeles, Robert is
Yesterday.” He acted the William Holden content living in the mountains of
part who tutors a blonde played by Judy Canyon Country with an occasional
Holiday in the movie. bobcat visitor, cottontails, or
By 1967, Robert claimed to be “a poor, squirrels.
starving writer/actor in San Francisco.” He But don’t let this idyllic setting
says, “I wanted to travel to Europe but had no fool you. Not only is Robert an avid
money. So, I got trained to be a bicycle leader. I bicyclist, he hikes, swims, and rides a
led a 60-day trip in 1968 and a 30-day tour in Suzuki Bandit motorcycle in his spare
1969 for American teenagers. I also led US time. Can anyone match Robert’s
tours in Nevada, Utah, and Oregon.” record of hiking Mount Whitney 22
He continued, “In 1969, my newlywed bride times? Perhaps you ‘ll emulate his
met me in Paris with her father’s wedding mile-long swim workout (68-72 laps)
present - an old tandem bicycle. I have no idea three days a week? Next on Robert’s
how, but we bicycled with saddlebags and wish list is a bicycle tour of the San
knapsacks out of Paris after never having ridden Juan Islands off the coast of Seattle.
it before! We rode through four countries; Good luck and Godspeed!

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