Richard Abeles Obituary: Richard "Rick" of Walnut Creek died at 86

Richard Abeles Obituary: Richard “Rick” Abeles, 86, died peacefully on November 15, 2023 in Walnut Creek, CA. Born June 28, 1937, in Chicago to Jeanne and Jerome Abeles, Sr., Rick attended the Harvard School for Boys in Hyde Park and graduated from Amherst College and Harvard Law School.

He proudly served in the US Army Signal Corps and Army Reserve. While practicing law with Altheimer & Gray in Chicago, he met his wife, Kathy, and they married on January 28, 1968.

In 1969, Rick and Kathy embarked on a trip around the world, eventually visiting 50 countries across South America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Along the way, they met numerous people who praised Santa Fe, New Mexico as a wonderful place to live. They decided to visit in 1971, moved there in 1975, and in 1979 had a daughter, Liza.

In Santa Fe, Rick worked as a self-employed attorney, with a focus on real estate and commercial transactions, and was exceptionally dedicated to supporting the community. In 1985, he co-founded the Santa Fe Children’s Museum, serving as its board President for many years.

In the 2000s, he served for nearly a decade as the president of the Santa Fe Community College Foundation board. In 2021, Rick and Kathy moved to California to be closer to their daughter and her family.

Rick was both worldly and down-to-earth, and he was known and loved by many. He had an incredible memory, a wonderful sense of humor, and an insatiable curiosity. He loved making connections with people from all backgrounds. Rick enjoyed travel, music of many genres, reading, and technology. He was a prodigious family genealogist and loved skiing and playing basketball and pickleball.

Rick is survived by his daughter Liza Abeles Lutzker, son-in-law Bobby Lutzker, and granddaughters Hazel and Thea Lutzker, all of Berkeley, CA, and his brother, Jerome Abeles, Jr. of Rancho Mirage, CA.

His wife of 54 years, Kathy, passed away in November 2022.