Richard Lindstrom
August 10, 1932 – April 1, 2013
Richard Lindstrom was born in Minneapolis MN. His father ran the neighborhood grocery store and his mother sold gift items in the local department store. As a little boy, he spent much time with an uncle whose passion was the natural world. Together they collected road kill, taking treasures home to dissect and display. Thus began Richard’s lifelong interest in animals and the wild wonders that surround us.
In high school, he developed a keen interest in drawing and drafting that led him to enroll in the University of Washington School of Architecture, receiving his B. Arch. in 1954. He served in the U.S. Army in Korea until 1957, spending R&R time in Kyoto, Japan studying and collecting Asian ceramics, a passion he pursued for many years.
He worked for several Northwest architectural firms, settled on Bainbridge Island in 1973 and established an architectural partnership there with the late Christopher Morgan. Their work was widely published and given numerous awards. In 1979 Richard received the American Institute of Architects National Honor Award for the home he designed for himself, his wife Laura Ingham and son Erik. Inspired by Ise shrine near Nara, Japan, Richard created a highly original, beautifully proportioned structure, reminiscent of a Northwest longhouse.
An avid birdwatcher much of his life, in later years he focused on butterflies, helping found the Washington Butterfly Association. He specialized in the subfamily Skippers/Hesperiidae amassing photographs of almost 2400 species, probably the most extensive collection in the world. Emails from enthusiasts worldwide filled his inbox requesting “Dr. Skippy’s” assistance in identification. In 2008, Richard married Shirley Sekarajasingham. They enjoyed great travel adventures throughout Central and South America photographing rare butterflies.
He gave generously to organizations dedicated to preserving habitat including The Nature Conservancy, Organization for Tropical Studies in Costa Rica and the Puerto Vallarta Botanical Gardens. He helped build a state-of-the-art storage facility for the National University, Lima, Peru butterfly collection plus classroom and laboratory space for entomology and lepidoptery. Not forgetting the little ones, he donated binoculars to Honduran schoolchildren.
Richard cared deeply about certain political and religious subjects, writing frequently to local papers and creating his own bumper-stickers. A recent mission urged aetheists to come out of the closet. He also cared deeply about the lonely and less fortunate, finding small ways to brighten many individuals’ lives. His dedicated, generous life filled with humor and creativity inspires us all.
Richard died the beautiful spring morning of April 1 from a sudden brain hemorrhage. Preceded in death by parents Dorothy and Morris and sister Louise Standridge, he leaves behind his son Erik, his wife Shirley Sekarajasingham, nephew Scott Standridge of Long Island, NY and niece Debbie Musumeci of Bethel, CT.
The family welcomes all to a gathering at Pleasant Beach Manor House, Bainbridge Island, Sunday, April 14, 1-4 PM. They request that gifts in Richard’s memory be made to McGuire Center for Lepidoptera & Biodiversity, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611 for skipper research/collection/preservation.
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