HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DICK!
We share this day!
love, Heather

Dick you are SO missed, but not gone from my heart. I can still hear your voice and still listen to your words of wisdom and, of course, your jokes that were a bit repetitive but still funny.
I imagine you sailing in steady winds with many old friends.
love

Dick and his parents moved to Oakland after living in Pittsburg, and we met at Bret Harte Junior High School in the 1947-1948 school year. In the 9th grade he was Student Body President. After graduating in June 1948 he went to Fremont High School and from there to UC Berkeley. I went to Oakland High School and then to UC Berkeley where he, his wife and I graduated in 1955. At Bret Harte he was the runaway choice for the office. He was born with those genetic traits that make one very well-liked. He always had a smile on his face, and excelled at displaying his caring ways. He was a great story-teller, a gourmet cook, and a wine expert. He began and ended his career at Crocker Bank, rising to the level of Manager of its branch at the foot of California Street for the reason he was good with all kinds of people, able to generate deposits and handle myriad complaints with ease. He joined the Yacht Club about the time he was promoted and assigned to SF from Sacramento. There, he was an instant hit with his story-telling for one of the main reasons people joined was to entertain and be entertained when not busy sailing. His jokes, sly comments, witty remarks and stories made him the center of attraction, on 'stag' nights especially. He was also in demand to serve as a member of the crew on cruises and races to Hawaii and S. California. The funny thing is he was willing to take the risks inherent at sea, but not in the air. Why he refused to fly was never clear to some of us, but that is the way it was. So on land he traveled by railroad or car.  He and his wife also enjoyed slow railroad trips annually in December to the Hotel Benson in Portland and browsing through a huge well-known bookstore they loved. Both were avid readers, and seldom watched TV.  When they moved to Healdsburg, there was some history why.  Her grandfather had served as the local Superior Court Judge, and his parents were living nearby in Cloverdale. His 'restaurant' became a success overnight as he capitalized on his strengths. Members of my family met Dick through activities at the YC, and he was voted unanimously their favorite member. It is tough to lose the companionship of someone you know and like, as many of you who read this know, and it has been tough to lose contact with one known for over 70 years. A great guy who will be missed by many. 

My Uncle Dick was a great storyteller, and he had a magnetic personality. Everyone knew him! I remember being a shy teenager, invited to spend a summer at Tinsley Island, learning how to sail Laser boats. Uncle Dick, being a long-time member of the St. Francis Yacht Club, docked his boat Vintage at Tinsley. When people asked my last name (Etter), their reply was, “Oh, yes, we know Dick Etter.” I had a blast that summer, building confidence while learning to sail on my own, tacking among the tulles of the Sacramento Delta. A particularly memorable event was at the end of a long day, I was headed to the dock to retire on board the Vintage. Dick was among friends at the campfire and the whole group serenaded me “Irene, Goodnight.” That song will forever remind me of my Uncle Dick, and his generous, kind, outgoing personality that I so admired.
Goodnight, Uncle Dick.
I will miss you.
Love ❤️ your niece Irene