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In memory of

Bruce Mark Richmond

Royal Oaks, CA

1951 - May 1, 2020

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Bruce Richmond, a life-long surfer and scientist who brought his infectious sense of humor and joy for life to the many who loved him, died in late May of 2020, surrounded by his family near his home in Las Lomas, Calif. He died of a hemorrhagic stroke. He was 68 years old.

A kind-hearted man, he had enormous love for his friends and family, especially for his five children. Bruce was also an adventurer who traveled the globe. He worked 42 years for the United States Geological Survey as a tsunami geologist and coastal researcher. Among his many contributions to tsunami research were his detailed descriptions of the impacts of recent tsunamis in the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Chile, Samoa, and Japan.

“He was the most patient person, the dorkiest scientist and the most amazing father in the world,” said his youngest daughter Maurea Richmond, a surfer like her dad. “I won’t ever understand why he had to leave us so soon.”

Bruce had the ability of combining his many passions for life and sharing his joy for them with others. He taught his children his love of the ocean and the outdoors, and an appreciation for the importance of making time to enjoy life. He inspired colleagues with both his scientific rigor and his passion for his work — and is well-remembered for instituting Hawaiian shirt day on Fridays at the Santa Cruz office.

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Bruce was born in August 1951 in Carson City, Nevada where he lived until he was 9 years old. From there his family moved to Aptos, California along the Monterey Bay coastline. He attended Watsonville High School where he graduated in 1969. He and his brother Kent started surfing early and often, kickstarting Bruce’s long love affair with the ocean and surfing. Manresa State Beach in Aptos remained his favorite surf spot throughout his life.

His passion and respect for the ocean first inspired him to study marine biology in college, but after just one much-loved course in geology at Cabrillo College in Aptos, he changed course. After graduating from Cabrillo, he attended the University of California-Santa Cruz where he graduated in 1973 with a degree in earth sciences. He also received a master’s in earth science from the University of Waikato in New Zealand.

Bruce began his career at the USGS in 1978 as a physical science technician in East Palo Alto, Calif. He completed his PhD in geology at UC Santa Cruz while working at the USGS in Menlo Park, eventually moving to the Santa Cruz office. His research ranged from studying the sedimentology of sand dunes and beaches to the use of geology in assessing coastal hazards and took him to dozens of countries spanning the Pacific Islands to Arctic coastlines.

“Those of us who worked with Bruce know how his collaborative style, keen sense of observation, geologic intuition, and good nature made it easy to work with him and led to many scientific advances,” said Dr. Bruce Jaffe, a long-time colleague and friend.

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On what would have been Bruce’s 69th birthday, his daughter, Sierra Richmond Alexander posted a memorial on Facebook in honor of her “pops” expressing her grief and sorrow for the loss of such a good, kind man.

“Our lives changed in an instant,” she wrote. “So many are experiencing grief right now, my heart goes out to all of you. … Everyday I am choosing to be kinder and more positive. Live like Bruce.”

Bruce met his wife of 26-years Aitu while he was working in Fiji. She fell in love with his kind heart. After his retirement early this year, the couple were making plans to build a retirement home in her native island home of Rotuma off the coast of Fiji, splitting their time between the islands and the Santa Cruz area.

“That last year he always talked about the islands,” Aitu said. “He loved it there. He was such a kind caring man, and so patient, especially with me. He was just a happy, fun loving person.
Like Sierra said, we all need to be kind like Bruce. We will try.”

Bruce is survived by his wife Aitu; his brother Kent; his father Ronald; his four daughters Sierra, Mariah, Lohana and Maurea; one son Orien; and five grandchildren.

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