Richard Messing – Beloved Father of Six
Messing, Richard F. of North Hill, Needham, Mass., formerly of Wellesley Hills, passed away May 30, 2017 at the age of 94. Richard is predeceased by his beloved wife of 65 years, Gertrude (Walsh) Messing. Devoted father of Mark and his wife Tina of Philadelphia, Jane and her husband Vincent Perla of Scottsdale, Robert and his wife Priscilla of Wellesley, Nancy and her husband Dr. Ely Brand of Ft. Lauderdale, David and his wife Diane of Sunapee, N.H., and William and his late wife Kristina Helsell of Seattle. “Dick” was also the cherished grandfather of 11 and great-grandfather of 2. He is also preceded in death by his siblings Rita Millard of Baltimore and George Messing of St. Paul.
Born in Fargo, N.D., in 1922, Dick moved with his family to St. Paul, Minn., where he attended Cretin High School. He graduated from the University of Minnesota at the head of his Chemical Engineering class and later received a doctorate at the Institute of Gas Technology in Chicago.
In 1945 Dick was invited to join Arthur D. Little, Inc. in Cambridge, Mass., where he rose to Sr. VP during a 40-year career. He was a published expert in chemical economics and was an officer of several professional organizations including Chairman of the Society of the Chemical Industry.
Dick served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Regis College (Weston, Mass.) from 1975-1983, overseeing a major expansion of athletic facilities and steering a successful fund drive.
Dick and Trudy were residents at the North Hill retirement community in Needham for the last 12 years. They enjoyed their winters in Highland Beach, Fla. and their summers at Granliden on Lake Sunapee, where the family holds a reunion each year.
Dick was noted for his wry sense of humor combined with common-sense thinking. His work as a consultant made him one of America’s original “frequent flyers” with trips almost every week in the U.S. and abroad. He published comprehensive family genealogical information based on his own field research. In addition to being a great dad and husband, Dick was an excellent handyman who spent weekend time repairing household damage and making home improvements. He also enjoyed arranging and attending social activities among his cohorts.
Visiting hours at the George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 477 Washington St., (Rt.16) WELLESLEY, Friday, June 2 from 4-7 p.m. Funeral Mass in St. John the Evangelist Church, Wellesley Hills, Saturday, June 3 at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends kindly invited. Interment in Woodlawn Cemetery, Wellesley. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Regis College, The Regis Fund, 235 Wellesley Street, Weston, Mass. 02493, or online at https://alumni.regiscollege.edu/regisfund