Man of Avon: Richard G. Croft, Jr. ’59, P’83

Richard G. Croft Jr. (1939 - 2019)

Obituary

79, died peacefully at his home in Montecito, CA on October 13, 2018 after a long battle with cancer. Richard was born on December 14, 1939 in Chicago, Illinois. His parents were Richard G. Croft and Jean Brooke Riley of New York City and Greenwich, CT. Richard grew up between Greenwich, CT and New York, attending the Greenwich Country Day School, New York's Buckley School and Avon Old Farms. He attended the Columbia School of Broadcasting before joining the United States Army Quartermaster Corps, stationed in Okinawa, Japan from 1959 to 1963. After his military service, he worked for several years at Manufacturers Hanover Bank and Trust in New York and the Bank of America in San Francisco, before committing himself full time to enjoying his life and family. Richard lead a full and adventurous life, establishing homes in New York City; Manila, Philippines; San Francisco; Norfolk, CT, Los Angeles and Ojai before settling in Montecito. Richard was a former board member of Santa Barbara's Lobrero Theater; his clubs and patronages included the Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club; The University Club of Santa Barbara; The Santa Barbara Historical Museum and the State Street Ballet. An avid traveller who loved to explore Europe, the Far East and Africa, Richard also enjoyed sourcing hard-to-find collectables for his vast and varied collections of Wild West Arts, Britons lead toy soldiers, bull whips, contemporary art and first edition books. A modern interpretation of a Renaissance man, Richard enjoyed a well-rounded and casually-paced regimen of reading, classic MGM musicals, gospel music, the films of John Ford and autobiographical research into the lives of General MacArthur and Winston Churchill. Richard was predeceased by his wife Teresita Enriquez Croft (1936-2001) and is survived by his sons, Richard Graham Croft III and John Graham Croft of Montecito, CA; his sister Sybil Croft-Nikolic and brother-in-law Jovan Nikolic of Santa Barbara; daughter-in-law Heidi Milan Croft and his grandchildren Brandon Steven Croft and Alana Vashti Croft, all of Santa Barbara. A devoted father and grandfather, Richard attended every baptism, birthday and graduation, even when his children and grandchildren were living abroad. Locally, Richard was often seen at Santa Barbara's Cafe Del Sol, enjoying himself with friends and family.

Published in The Santa Barbara News-Press Online Edition from Mar. 24 to Mar. 28, 2019