Dave Richards was one of a kind, and a giant among friends.
Tony Ortega did a post about him on Thursday thanks to Dave’s great friend Ron Miscavige Snr.
I could not process the grief and bring myself to write anything coherent, so I am a couple of days late. But the delay only represents the shattering of my world when I heard the news of his passing. The only small saving grace was that he died peacefully in his sleep. But that made it even more shocking as there was no warning.
I met Dave on the Apollo in 1973. He was one of the really good ones. He was the Dissem Aide Flag Bureau at the time. I was a newbie and ended up as CO FB’s Communicator (Secretary). I spent a good deal of time with Dave — Dissem Bu was a very hot area, Hubbard was developing his “Marketing Series” and whatever Hubbard had his attention on, so did everyone else. Dave made a very immediate and lasting impression on me. He was smart, composed and competent. He did not fluster (I saw many who became almost incoherent when Hubbard put the heat on them) — he just never lost his cool. There were plenty of “old hands” on the Apollo who made you earn your place. They were not very warm, even cold, to newcomers until they reached some magical, secret status of “one of us.” Not Dave. He was polite, friendly and helpful to me from day one – just as he wa to everyone.
Dave was legendary in the scientology world for being the most successful Executive Director of the “Founding Church” of scientology (it was not the first, but was named that by Hubbard) in Washington DC. This was “Hubbard’s org” in the US — the one he spent the most time at and the one he considered was “his.” Dave was Hubbard’s hand-chosen executive director.
When our time on the Apollo came to an end in 1975, Hubbard appointed Dave the Public Exec Sec of the newly formed “Flag Service Org” in Clearwater. When the days of the Finance Police came around, Dave was too old school to go along with their bullshit, and he left the Sea Org.
After I left in 2007 — 20+ years later — I reconnected with Dave. He reached out to me and when he heard I was in the Tampa Bay area, he introduced me to his old friend, Robert Almblad. That led me to work with Robert and establish a friendship with him that I cherish to this day.
Our connection grew even stronger when my wife Christie finally met Dave. The shot below is Dave at our wedding.
Dave’s daughter, Meghan, had gone to Delphi with Christie. Meghan married Garrett Robinson — who was almost like a kid-brother to Christie as her parents and Garrett’s parents were best friends and for a good period of their early years they all lived together in a single large house.
Dave connecting up with me (and his criticism of the financial rape being carried out by scientology and telling Flag Regges that L. Ron Hubbard would be ashamed of them) resulted in Meghan disconnecting from him. Christie connecting up with SP’s resulted in her parents disconnecting from her. Yin and Yang. Dave and Christie instantly became best of friends. He was a surrogate father figure and she was a surrogate daughter.
Everyone who ever met Dave Richards felt the same way. A kinder, gentler and smarter man I have yet to find. He was always interested to hear about you, but reluctant to talk about himself. He was engaging, funny, self-deprecating and humble.
He had been a very successful executive in a large multi-national corporation but in recent years had wanted to keep himself busy so he took to driving an Uber in Phoenix. He told me how much he enjoyed it because it gave him the chance to meet and talk to new people every day. He didn’t consider it “beneath him” — to the contrary, he was happy to be of service to people in exchange for their perspectives on life. He recounted how interesting it was when he drove people by the Phoenix “ideal org” and how virtually every person commented on it and many would ask him if he had watched Leah Remini’s show. He chuckled and said “I never told them you were one of my best friends, because I made it a policy NEVER to offer an opinion about religion or politics, I was more interested in hearing what they had to say than thinking they wanted to hear what I had to say.”
That was the humility of Dave.
The enduring heartbreak of his life was the fact that his daughter had disconnected from him. He could not know his grandchildren.
That is the cruelty of scientology.
According to his wishes there will be no Memorial Service. His body is being cremated and his ashes returned to his native Canada. Our thoughts are with his wife, Sandy and his family.
Though gone in body, his memory lives strong.
Sorry to hear you lost your friend. He sounded like a very good man.
Mike, Christie, my condolences for the loss of your beloved friend.
I didn’t know Dave. He sounds wonderful. It’s so sweet that he and Christie filled a void for each other. Warms my heart. I’m so sorry for the loss of your friend. The Church can not survive their evil policy of disconnection. It will destroy them.
Lovely tribute, Mike. Thoughts are with you, Christie, and all of Dave’s family and friends.
Sorry for you loss.
Sorry to hear this, terrible deal to lose a special friend. My condolences Mike.
Thank you for sharing your tribute with those of us who did not have the honor of knowing him. I especially enjoyed reading about his purpose and experiences in being an Uber driver. What a gift to have him as a close friend and surrogate father. I am praying for comfort and peace for you and your wife and those that knew him.
It sounds like the world just became a little poorer.
The rest of us can strive to keep men like Dave in our minds, and live to impact others in such a positive way.
Mike;
This is the first that I had ever heard of Dave Richards. From your account today I garner that he must have been a wonderful person. Reading about him makes me want to aspire to be like him.
RIP Dave Richards.
Sorry for your loss, Mike and Christie. I knew Dave when I was on staff in DC. The other execs used to scream at me for not agreeing with their unusual solutions. Dave never did. Thank you, Dave, and R.I.P.
Such sad news. My condolences to friends and family. Back in the 70’s I met Dave at CW and can concur with Mike about Dave being unflappable. As a young kid observing how adults handled the stress and pressure of their posts, Dave always had a smile, remained calm, though a bit disheveled, as more and more pressure was put on him as head of Div 6 FSO for more and more $$$ and World Tour success. Always had time for my naive questions and help to get my assignments done. Unless you’ve been in the S.O. it’s hard to imagine the stress and pressure one is under 24/7 as one moves up the org board. When this happens some of the “bad” in person can appear. Never saw it in Dave. He was one of the good ones.
“Though gone in body, his memory lives strong”
That is a wonderful tribute. I love the picture of him.
MIKE,
My deepest condolences on your loss.
Sorry if slightly off-topic, but your very last sentence reminded me of a question I’ve had for a while: What are your current thoughts about the existence of an afterlife?
We know what you believed when you were in Scientology, but curious what you believe now.
The shared love for David at this website has been comforting to me. He remains one of the best individuals that graced planet earth and a person of tremendous character and support to those who knew and loved him. I am blessed to count myself as one of them. If you knew David you know he was a great listener and how valuable it was to receive his counsel.
Brilliant! Percetive! Considerate! Kind! Helpful! He had a great sense of humor and I cherish many wonderful memories I have.
He was one of the few who received Kha Khan status by LRH personally.
“Kha-Khan 1. in an ancient army a particularly brave deed was recognized by an award of the title of Kha-Khan. It was not a rank. The person remained what he was, but he was entitled to be forgiven the death penalty ten times in case in the future he did anything wrong.”
On several occasions, when wrongs were committed by the org or a staff member to a member of the public or a staff member, he stuck his neck out to right that wrong.
We remained great friends throughout the years. He was a terrific friend. I miss him dearly.
Thank you Arlene. I appreciate you taking the time to comment here. Dave was an unusually kind soul — rarely do you see “Exes” so caring for one another as you and Dave.
I am really pleased that the community here has brought you some comfort.
Be well.
My condolences on your loss.
What a wonderful tribute. I slightly knew Dave back in the 70’s from Miami contact with DC org. I am happy to see how many people loved him and condolences to his family. I appreciate Tony Ortega and Mike Rinder for writing like this about a really nice guy who stayed that way his whole life.
I am so sorry for your loss. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers.
All those who live in California: Rep. Jackie Speier as a survivor of Jonestown may have ideas about investigating the so-called church. Now that the Catholic Church might be drawing legal suits for fraud so might scientology. Human rights, trafficking, you name it! Do what you can to get more people on the outside woke!
Oh I am so sorry for this loss to you Mike & Christy. The disconnection thing just really got to me……so bloody sad and so sad for a lot of us in this situation! I must have known Dave but just don’t remember the name, I think I need to see a younger photo of him.
The connections and disconnections revolving around Dave, his family, his friends, and his friends’ families is astounding. His death is a loss to us all, because whether we knew him or not, he had a special place in the world. Hopefully the great love and friendship he spread all around will help shine a light into the darkness of disconnection, and give strength to anyone who wants to re-connect in spite of the directives of small-minded people living in the shell of dying Scientology.
My real condolences, and indeed he will be remembered. Peace to him, family and friends.
I want to say Dave Richards was my best friend. He was, but he was a best friend to many people, a trusted friend to many people. This was because he defined what a true friend is….. compassionate, concerned and above all he loved the people around him. His greatest joy in life was helping others. Whether it was as mundane as loaning money to save a friend’s house from foreclosure or encouraging a friend after some failure in life. For, me there will never be a better friend. I feel as though my deep sadness will never go away, that my tears will never stop…. he was a great mind to the rest of the world but a life long friend of mine that I will never replace… fare-thee-well my friend. You were one of a kind, my friend. Fare-thee-well.
So sorry for your loss Robert?
Robert, I can only imagine how much this loss hurts for you and it brings me to tears. You and Dave were two of the best friends to eachother that I’ve ever seen in this world. The friendship that knows no bounds between you two was so unique. I’m so sad, but also so grateful that I got to know Dave. I’m thinking of you.
Rest in peace Mr. Richards. May Alberta’s wide open spaces and sunny skies welcome you home.
My love to you, Christie, and all that loved and supported Dave. His memory will live in those that also read these words.
My condolences, you loose a bit of yourself with the passing of close friends and comrades. Peace to all.
Mike and Christie, I am so sorry for your loss…he sounds like he was indeed a wonderful man to know and call friend. It occurred to me as well, to be very sorry for Meghan because someday when she hopefully wakes up and leaves she will realize what she lost when she gave up being connected to her father, and what she deprived her children of in keeping them from knowing this wonderful man who was their grandfather.
Mike;
Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful words about my brother. As Dave’s younger sister, I have loved and admired him and cherished his friendship all of my life. Loosing him so unexpectedly has been wrenching. And…it is so very heart warming and consoling somehow to hear how much Dave was esteemed and loved by others. Thank you again. And to David, if I may: “May the road you are traveling lead you on to many lands. And may the spirit lift your soul with gentle hands” . T.
I am sorry for your loss Mike, and for Dave’s family loss too.
Mike, I am so sorry for the loss of your friend. I am so sorry your mother died without you ever getting to reconnect with her and that there is a possibility this could be true of your brother and son and daughter.
The hardest thing to read in any tribute like this is the tale of the people who were wrenched away from them by the cruel practice of disconnection and how scientology continues to deny this practice exists.
I am glad you have such amazing friends and that despite scientology’s best efforts, they, in the end, do not break the majority of souls they attempt to.
RIP Dave.
Mike….what a wonderful and beautiful writing this is, so those of us who didn’t have the good fortune to know this man, got a glimpse into who and how he was. I am so sorry for your loss, and my condolences go out to you and his family. It made me sick to hear his daughter disconnected from him and he didn’t know his grandchildren ….what an horrid thing CoS is….I hope his daughter wakes up….before her own children grow up and disconnect from her. Kindess regards to you and Christie.
My condolences Christie. 🙁
I’m so sorry, Mike. Condolences to you and Christie and to all of Richard’s friends and loved ones.
It is just so tragic what this vile church does to families. It really says something about a religion that has so little regard and is so destructive to the family unit. The statement the church of scientology makes is that it has little belief in its own tenets or philosophy that it has to censure its members and have power over the family in an attempt to hold onto its members.
David and I were first cousins. He was the oldest of the lot and I was the youngest grandson. Dave was 20+ years older than me but we connected in the early 2000s. When he came to Canada we met up and I flew to Phoenix several times to visit. We became instant friends who laughed together, shared opinions and disagreed on just about EVERYTHING! ? We would laugh about how different we were but we loved spending countless hours driving to Laughlin, cruising aimlessly around Arizona, eating at great restaurants and taking in the Grand Canyon.
Dave was one of those people you wouldn’t hear from for a few months, then instantly pick up the last conversation you were having. He texted me on my birthdays, we shared horrible puns and we chatted whenever we wanted to. No obligation … he was just always there. He will always be there. Goodbye my friend.
I only met Dave for one weekend when he, Ronnie and I came to Ron’s house in West Allis to watch the Super Bowl and so Ron and I could put the finishing touches on “Ruthless.” I read about his passing and I get a sense of grief. I only met him for this one weekend but he made such an impression on me. What a guy! I wish I had known him better but the downside is that my grief would be greater.
Sorry for your loss
Mike, thanks for this well-deserved tribute. I first met Dave when I was on staff in DC. Although I didn’t know him too well in DC, I got to know him much better in the last few years. I really enjoyed our more recent times together. Great sense of humor, great smile and great to talk to. Really, a wonderful guy. He will be sincerely missed.
Thank you for the wonderful tribute to my brother David.
Thank you for having such a wonderful brother. My thoughts are with you.
So sad he died without knowing his grandkids. That hit this grandmother really hard. Shame on a religion that disconnects families!
My condolences to you Mike, your wife and Dave Richards family.
The more I read about Dave the more he sounds like the sort of friend we would all like to have. Your sadness comes through in your writing, Mike, and that really is the greatest tribute of all: he was worthy of your’s and Christie’s love and grief. I’m really so sorry.
May he rest in peace. Condolences to his family and friends who really cared about him.
Oh Mike and Christie, so very sorry for the loss of your dear friend. ❤❤. Disconnection..ugh..damn cult…
Rare are those who leave such a lasting impression on our hearts. What a lovely tribute.
Sounds like quite a guy to create that much love, respect and admiration in those that knew him best. My condolences to all of his loved ones. Sorry that his grandchildren never got to know such an obviously wonderful man.
Beautiful tribute to a beautiful human being. I only met him once and that was when he visited you, Mike, in Clearwater. It was shortly after I was declared and expeled. He was just as you described him Mike – engaging, funny, interested and a joy to be around. I know much you cared for Dave. I am so sorry for your loss. I feel a loss as well. I have only met him once but am forever grateful I had that opportunity. Thank you for introducing me to him. May he rest in peace.
That’s one of the saddest story’s I’ve ever read.
What a beautiful post about someone who was clearly an amazing man and even more amazing friend.
Just the act of Scientology using the “disconnect” as a form of punishment is an example of how gutless and barbaric they are.
My heart is broken. Thank you for this perfect tribute. ?