Richard Blacher, 70

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Richard E. Blacher passed away on Oct. 10. He was the beloved son of Marcia C. Blacher and the late Stanley P. Blacher and dear brother of John M. Blacher, all of Providence.

Dick was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at the age of 15. He spent five days at the Joslin Diabetes Clinic in Boston where he learned how to control his condition. Two days following his discharge, not one to “give in,” he left on a five-week cross-country teen tour to which Dick had thoroughly looked forward. He enjoyed his trip immensely, especially the Rocky Mountains and New Orleans.

In 1969, Dick graduated from Hope High School where, in his senior year, he became captain of the golf team and was awarded The Providence Journal-Bulletin Best Golfer Trophy. In 1973, he graduated from Brown University. He then attended Cornell University’s Samuel Curtis Johnson School of Management and graduated with an MBA in Marketing.

Dick held important managerial marketing positions at two steel firms in Connecticut until he incurred a serious case of Lyme disease. The condition took one and one-half years to diagnose due to the lack of medical knowledge at that time. A prolonged period of treatment followed.

A lover of popular music, Dick acquired a very large disc collection of his favorite musicians and performers. He also had a keen intellect and was a voracious reader. Later in life, Dick became an avid fly fisherman and made a wide circle of friends to whom he became very close.

Richard’s family would especially like to thank the exceptional nurses, physicians and other professionals of The Miriam Hospital and the Special Care Unit.

obituary, Richard Blacher