Richard Stanley Wayman

Richard Stanley Wayman was born January 7, 1943 in County of York (England) at an emergency maternity home after his mother was evacuated from London during World War II. He grew up in London during a time of scarcity, rationing, and recovery and graduated from Barking Technical College. As an engineer in his late 20s, he came to the United States on a six-month consulting assignment and never left.

Richard met Kathy on a blind date and they were married November 29, 1974. They shared a love of travel, nature, the arts, and family and built a life full of all four. He is survived by his wife Kathy, daughter Elizabeth (Cameron), son Rick (Ayda), and grandchildren Josh, Geoff, Kara, and Lulu.

Richard had a deep care for fixing and maintaining things, especially Kathy's 1963 Oldsmobile Cutlass, which is still on the road today with Rick in Santa Barbara. There were few things he didn't know how to do. In the rare occasion a repair vendor had to be called, Richard would watch their process carefully in order to be able to replicate the fix himself next time (or potentially correct any missteps).

As a dad he helped with homework, went to all performances and sport events, and played chauffeur while maintaining a successful career as an engineer and executive at Gibson Greetings. After retirement he offered even more indulgences to his grandchildren, who enjoyed his gentle reading voice and (once they grew up) discussions of history. His childhood in post-WWII London offered endless stories of wartime rations and the differences between mid-20th century England and the United States.

His complete devotion to wife Kathy (married almost 52 years) drove their life. You could always find him meticulously researching and planning their next travel adventures or working for hours each day in their award-winning gardens. In the evenings they entertained and supported the Cincinnati arts as longtime subscribers to CSO and May Festival.

As a family, their passion for travel opened up new worlds to the kids and instilled in them an appreciation for other cultures and history. Some of Richard's all-time favorite trips include: attending Rick and Ayda's wedding in Tunisia, hiking Machu Picchu, a 1,000-mile cruise up the Amazon River, skiing in Switzerland and Aspen, and celebrating his and Kathy's 50th wedding anniversary in Florida together with all the family.

Richard fought aggressive kidney cancer for more than two years without complaining, while maintaining as active of a lifestyle as possible. He will be remembered as a kind and unselfish neighbor, and a cherished, noble and dignified man.

Visitation for Richard's friends and family will be at T.P. White & Sons Funeral Home in Mt Washington from 5-7pm on Tuesday, September 22. Interment will be via private family burial at Gate of Heaven Cemetery.