In loving light and remembrance

Richard Gabrielson was a warm, gentle soul and a lifelong seeker. A creative, outdoorsman, and adventurer, he lived with a passionate curiosity that centered around love, beauty, the power of music and a deep connection with the natural world— especially surfing and the mountains. Most of all, Richard was happiest when surrounded by the people he loved.

Growing up in the Pacific Palisades, his early adventures with his three younger siblings, cousins, and friends revolved around exploring the wild canyons and long days surfing. He loved animals, mountain climbing, photography, and creating, and over the years turned his bedroom into a psychedelic art installation with homemade lighting that his parents proudly showed off during their cocktail parties.

As a young man, Richard broke away from traditional religious practices and found his spiritual home with his guru, Paramahansa Yogananda, and the Self Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles. Drawn to Yogananda’s teachings of mystical beauty, heart-centered spirituality, and the belief that life is meant to be experienced fully, Richard carried this philosophy throughout his years.

Turning 18 during the Vietnam War, Richard joined the Navy, following the footsteps of his father but hoping to avoid combat. Stationed in San Diego, he volunteered to use his photography skills to document the recovery of the Apollo missions, work that helped him stay stateside.

After the Navy, Richard moved to Napa with friends, many of whom joined him in working as psychiatric technicians at Napa State Hospital. Driven to help others, he connected deeply with the young people he worked with, using music and his emphatic nature to build trust.

He continued to invest in his creative spirit— building a geodesic dome to live in, seeking out mind-expanding experiences, and returning to his favorite outdoor places, especially the Sierra Nevada mountains. He loved Yosemite in particular and spent time climbing and exploring at Tuolumne Meadows. He trained as a whitewater rafting guide on the American River, grew his hair long– and his beard to match– and thrived in the eclectic culture of the late 1970s.

Music was a central thread throughout Richard’s life. He became a brilliant guitar player whose skill often intimidated people until they discovered how warm, encouraging, and inclusive he was. Whether he was playing Jackson Browne, James Taylor or The Eagles jamming with friends, or writing new songs, Richard’s guitar was an extension of his heart. He started his lifelong affair with his Martian guitar in 1971, and she remains a beloved member of the family.

In Napa, Richard met Victoria who he was destined to fall in love with and begin a lifelong adventure with. He had just cut his hair and cleaned up his appearance– luckily giving him a fighting chance. Noticing her sun-kissed skin, he asked her about her tan, and she told him she had just returned from visiting family in Maui and was thinking of moving there– a place that Richard himself had long dreamed of exploring and surfing. Though they wouldn’t begin dating for another year, Richard later told her that he knew during that first encounter that someday they would move to Maui together. And that’s exactly what they did.

Chasing tropical adventure and a desire to be closer to Victoria’s family, they moved to Maui in 1981 with Richard’s bonus son, Jake, who was seven at the time. They took trips to Hana, backpacked into Haleakalā and down the Kaupō Gap, explored the neighboring islands, and enjoyed hosting friends and family from the mainland.

Their first home in Haʻikū— deemed “the jungle house”— was surrounded by tropical rainforest, complete with a backyard waterfall, a stream to cross to reach the front door, and a climbing wall that Richard enjoyed. They welcomed their first daughter Carly, then moved to Kula, where Colin joined the family. Later, Sierra completed the family and stole all of their hearts. Richard loved his children deeply and told them so often.

Richard started Maui Magic Color, a graphic design business that brought the first color copier to the still remote island. While the business was successful, his heart was in the ocean and at the beach with his family. Before the internet or surf reports, Richard, Victoria, and the kids would drive around the island looking for the best surf. If it wasn’t breaking on one side of the island, he would lovingly convince Victoria to drive to the other. Their days were filled with beach picnics with friends, family gatherings, camping, and endless exploring of their magical island home.

When the family moved to Oregon, Richard put his artistic talents to work as a graphic designer at a local news station. He worked hard to give his family a home, building and designing projects like a backyard pond, a treehouse, a skate ramp, a lofted bed for Sierra, “Duckingham Palace” for Carly’s pet ducks, and a music studio. Together with Victoria, he helped turn that house into a true home.

The second half of Richard’s life was impacted by health challenges. Diagnosed with dementia in 2011, his world gradually narrowed as he became unable to do the things he loved most: exploring, painting, creating, playing his guitar, storytelling, and hugging his children. Dealt a hand of cards that would have made many bitter, Richard remained gentle, loving, and optimistic.

In 2018, Richard fulfilled a lifelong dream when he published a book with the support of his children and one of his closest friends, Ellen Patterson. Written after his diagnosis, The Ecstasy of Breathing is a semi-autobiographical story that follows its characters from the peaks of the Sierra Nevada to massive waves of the open ocean– echoing the landscapes that Richard loved most.

Beloved by many of the staff at the Oregon Veteran’s Home where he spent his final years, Richard was known for his silly jokes, telling the staff about the joints he wished he was smoking, singing, and the way he lit up when his family visited. Still, this “long goodbye” was an extremely difficult journey for Richard and for all who loved him.

In his final weeks, Richard was surrounded by the constant presence of his children, Victoria and his sister Jodi. He was eased into the great beyond with music— including live guitar performances of songs that he loved and played throughout his life—a cosmic mystical soundbath, a sacred aromatherapy session, kisses from a puppy, calls from loved ones, the smell of his lifelong favorite surfboard wax “Mr. Zogs Sex Wax”, stories from his life, and the gentle encouragement that it was okay to embark on his next adventure.

Yogananda taught that death is merely a new process of growth and expansion, a changing of one’s garment. We are comforted knowing that Richard is free and imagine him simultaneously surfing in Maui at Ho’okipa, exploring in the Cascades, smoking a joint with friends, and playing his guitar for his ancestors at the afterparty that awaits us all.

And never one to leave a party early, we know that he’ll be there to greet us when the time comes to shed our garments too.

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As he requested, Richard donated his brain to the OHSU Brain Bank and partnering programs dedicated to researching Lewy Body Dementia. He would take pride in contributing to the work that may lead to one of the first dementia cures. We are grateful that even at the end of his life, Richard is helping others.

***

Our family was blessed to work with an end-of-life doula who supported Richard and all of us throughout his transition. Still a newer concept in Western culture, we want to share what a profound gift this was. Our doula tended to everyone’s emotional needs and helped create space for stories, laughter, and beautiful moments together. End-of-life doulas are available in many communities, often on a sliding scale, and we can’t recommend their support enough.

“Kindness is spiritual power. Gentleness is mastery. Love is the highest intelligence.”

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