Frank Ernest Richards was born on January 31, 1935, in Austin, Minnesota. His parents, Lyle Ernest Richards and LaVera Floy (Grems) Richards, raised their family on a farm near Austin. Frank died on October 17, 2025, at age 90, at home in Redlands, California.

Frank was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings Darrell, Muriel (Norman), and Everett (Ann), as well as by his brother-in-law, Art. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Sally; their children, Kari (Keith) Richards-Dinger and Jonathan (Wendy) Grant-Richards; and grandchildren, Sophia, Maia, Callan, and Glenn. He is also survived by his twin brother, Floyd; their sister, LaDonna; and sister-in-law, Marian.

Growing up, Frank was active in 4-H, raising and showing both pigs and sheep. He and his siblings attended a one-room schoolhouse through eighth grade before transferring to Austin High School, where Frank enjoyed the challenging academics. He went on to pursue higher education at the University of Chicago, earning a Hutchins B.A. in liberal arts as well as a B.S. in physics.

Frank joined the Navy for two years before studying abroad in Germany for another two. He attended the Universities of Freiburg and Frankfurt and became fluent in German and Russian. Returning to the University of Chicago, he pursued solid-state physics, earning first a master's degree and then a doctorate.

During this time, he met Sally at an international folk dance on campus. Their first date was canoeing on the Fox River — a hobby that would become an important part of their future family life. They were married two days after Christmas in 1964, welcomed Kari a few years later, and Jonathan just before Frank completed his Ph.D. in 1971.

After a two-year post-doctoral appointment at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, the family relocated to the Chicago area to be closer to relatives. Over the next decade, Frank worked for several companies conducting scientific research and development in fields such as night-vision equipment and photocopying technology. He loved using his creativity to invent things that could make life better or easier.

In 1984, Frank embarked on a second career as a computer scientist at the Naval Weapons Center in Ridgecrest, California, where Floyd was raising his family. He wrote code for flight simulators used to train pilots and usually commuted by bicycle to his job site on the ranges.

After eight years in the desert, Frank and Sally returned to the Midwest, settling in Madison, Wisconsin, where they deepened relationships with extended family in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois. They both enjoyed their time in Madison, especially contra dancing twice a week and attending monthly sing-along potlucks where they formed strong friendships.

After another decade, they returned to California to live closer to their grandchildren. During these years, they volunteered as docents at the Maturango Museum and as Outdoor Ambassadors with the Redlands Conservancy. Frank was known locally for his determination to clear goatheads from trails and sidewalks — a small act that reflected his belief in taking care of the world around him.

Frank prioritized family above almost everything else. Both as a father and a grandfather, he listened carefully to what each child thought, what they were learning at school, and what concerned them most. He enthusiastically engaged with the interests of his children and grandchildren, including watching their sporting events and musical performances, reading the books and playing the games that delighted them at each age, and participating in or virtually following their travels.

Frank lived his values with quiet conviction — whether becoming a vegetarian in his sixties, originating and editing the Wikipedia page on matrilineal names, or picking up trash everywhere he walked. He took learning seriously, both from books and from other people, but he also loved a good joke. He will be remembered for his integrity, his commitment to learning, and his deep care for family and community — a legacy that continues in all who knew him.

A virtual memorial for Frank will be held Sunday November 9 at 2pm. Contact the family for the link.

If you wish to make a donation in Frank's honor, you might consider Partners In Health or the Union of Concerned Scientists.