Richard Griffin Chamberlain, Jr. Obituary (1923 - 2016)

Richard Griffin Chamberlain, Jr. (1923 - 2016) R. G. Chamberlain Jr., 92, passed away peacefully in his sleep at Sunrise of Mercer Island, WA on January 30, 2016. Richard was born May 26, 1923 at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle to Hilda May and Richard Chamberlain. While growing up in Seattle, he attended Stevens Grade School and graduated from Broadway High School. In 1941 he started college at the University of Oregon pursuing a business degree. While on a geology field trip in Oregon's Coast Range, he learned of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Shortly after beginning his sophomore year in the fall of 1942, he became an SAE then joined the Army. After military training in the Signal Corps he was stationed at ACS (Alaska Communications System) headquarters in Seattle as a cryptographer in the message center. In September 1943 he was sent to Attu in the Aleutian Islands to code and decode messages involving military communications. A year later he returned to duty in Seattle. Then in March 1945 he was sent to San Francisco as a cryptographer on temporary duty with the State Department during the founding of the United Nations. After fulfilling assignments in Seattle, Anchorage and the Pentagon, Richard returned to civilian life in February 1946. In the summer of 1946 Richard continued pursuit of his business degree at Gonzaga University, Seattle College and finally the University of Washington where he graduated in 1949. In 1947, while at the University of Washington, Richard met the love of his life, Betty Castronovo, who was also attending the university. They were married on March 22, 1949. In 1950 Richard worked for the Wrigley Gum company for a brief time followed by employment with the Ohio Chemical Company (1950 - 1956). In 1956 he started with Puget Power and remained with the company until retirement in 1988. During this time the family expanded with the birth of John in 1951 and David in 1954. Their first home was in Bellevue in 1951, and then with job promotions the family moved to Bellingham and then Kenmore. Richard was the local manager of the Bothell and Kirkland offices for Puget Power when he retired. He was a very dedicated Rotarian (with perfect attendance) and past president of the Northshore Chapter. Richard was an avid golfer and spent many seasons in Palm Desert. He loved to travel, both domestically and overseas. Trips to Deer Harbor, a lifelong destination, were most special. Richard embraced life whole heartedly and possessed the capacity to enrich the lives of others by his expressions of knowledge, interest, caring, and humor. He had a passionate commitment to family and conveyed warmth that radiated whether in person, by phone or in writing. While Richard made numerous contributions throughout his life, his legacy is one of living a life of dedication to family, consideration and compassion for others, and sharing the wisdom of his compelling belief in the founding principles of our country. Richard is survived by his wife Betty, his sons John of Torrance, CA and David (Janet) of Bow, WA. He is also survived by grandchildren, Griffin, Lauren, Brennen, Caroline, Elizabeth, and Kristen. A celebration of life will be held at Overlake Golf and Country Club on Saturday February 20th. Hoffner Fisher & Harvey Guestbook at harveyfuneral.com To send a flower arrangement in memory of Richard Griffin Chamberlain, Jr., please click here to visit our sympathy store.