In Memory of Richard M. DeRose

1949 – 2005  Age 56
Passed: October 19, 2005
Obituary published in the Fresno Bee, October 21, 2005

Richard was my friend for 23 years — and the first close friend I'd ever lost. He passed away on October 19, 2005 from complications related to diabetes and kidney failure. His obituary noted that he was a retail manager from Hanford, California, and services were held at St. Brigid Catholic Church. It was a quiet farewell for someone who left a lasting mark on my life.

We met in 1982 at the Greyhound Park Swap Meet in Phoenix, Arizona. I had developed a numerology chart program for the old Texas Instruments 99/4A personal computer and was selling printouts for a dollar apiece. Richard was fascinated — I believe he owned a TI himself at the time — and neither of us had ever seen anything quite like it. That spark of curiosity kicked off a friendship that would span decades.

We lost touch for a while when I moved to California and he stayed in Phoenix. But in 1984, I moved back — and by sheer coincidence, we ran into each other at the Arizona State Fair. Small world. From then on, we stayed connected, chatting by phone, webcam, and even voice over Yahoo Messenger. The last time I saw him in person was in 1999 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where I snapped the first photo below.

Richard was a tech enthusiast, a curious soul, and a loyal friend. I like to think he’s still exploring — maybe surfing the great Internet in the sky.

We miss you, buddy.

—Gil (written September 22, 2019)