Richard Edgar Westgaard
Jan. 20, 1939-July 19, 2024
San Francisco, California

In Loving Memory of Richard Edgar Westgaard January 20, 1939 - July 19, 2024

Richard Edgar Westgaard, age 85 of San Francisco died peacefully in his home on July 19, 2024 surrounded by his loving family.

Richard was born in Anchorage, Alaska in 1939 to Richard Allison Brown and Alice May Kenworthy. He was raised in Boise, Idaho by his mother and stepfather, Arnold Westgaard. As a teenager, Richard would return to Alaska during his summer breaks to work for Boeing, performing airplane maintenance.

Richard attended the University of Oregon from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy. While in Eugene, he met Rita Tabourian (former wife) and, not long after graduating, they moved to San Francisco where they were married and welcomed two children, Kirsten and Courtenay. Shortly after Courtenay was born, they moved the family to Palo Alto.

Richard had a long career with IBM as a technical project manager (spanning from the time of punch cards to the birth of the Internet.). Outside of work, he enjoyed expressing himself artistically through acting, painting and playing a variety of musical instruments. Richard also loved spending time hiking in the mountains and walking the coastline near the Golden Gate Bridge. He had a fabulous sense of humor and loved making his children and grandchildren laugh with his silly jokes, puns, funny faces and ear wiggling.

In seeking a deeper meaning to life, Richard embraced Buddhism. He traveled to Japan and spent several months living in a Buddhist monastery and studying with Buddhist masters. At home, he spent many hours in daily meditation and at retreats at the Green Gulch Farm Zen Center.

After retiring from IBM, Richard took a volunteer opportunity as an English teacher in Yantai, China. While in China he fell in love with and married a local school teacher, Meiling Wang. RIchard made a positive difference in the lives of the local community during his stay in China. After completing his volunteer commitment, Richard brought Meiling and her daughter Anna to San Francisco where they shared 23 beautiful years together.

Richard was always supportive of his children and grandchildren in chasing their dreams and fulfilling their goals. He took great pride in their accomplishments and enjoyed spending time together as a family as often as possible.

Richard is preceded in death by his mother, Alice Kenworthy, his father Richard Brown and his stepfather, Arnold Westgaard. He is survived by his wife, Meiling Wang, his children, Kirsten and Courtenay Westgaard, and Anna Hou, and his grandchildren, Alexandra Westgaard-Daly, Quinn Westgaard, and Austin, Logan and Walker Alvarez.

Richard will always be remembered as a loving husband, father and grandfather. His memory will live on in the hearts of all who loved him.