Richard “Rich” Peck passed away peacefully at 8:15 p.m. PT on March 22, 2026, following a long journey with dementia and cancer. His final days were spent surrounded by dear friends.

Rich was born on May 22, 1944, in Cortland, NY to Fred and Ruth Peck (née Sears). Fred was an engineer, and Ruth was a teacher. The Peck family lived in New York and Florida before settling in Corona, California in 1955. Rich was the eldest of three brothers, including Stephen and Alan.

Rich graduated with honors in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and later pursued graduate studies at Yale University. While he initially intended to earn a master’s degree in international relations, Rich instead completed a master’s in African Studies and in Philosophy. Yale later offered him a scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. in Political Science, and his doctoral research took him to East Africa.

While conducting dissertation research, Rich met Davy (Barbara) Crockett, a Peace Corps volunteer. They later married, and she predeceased him, passing far too young from melanoma.

Rich was fluent in Russian, Swahili, Mandarin, and Spanish, and his love of languages mirrored his love of people and ideas. In 1974, he joined the faculty of Lewis & Clark College as an assistant professor, beginning a distinguished academic career that spanned three decades. He retired in 2008 as Professor Emeritus.

In 1978, Rich led the first Lewis & Clark overseas study program to Kenya, laying the foundation for what would become one of the college’s most successful international programs. Through his vision and leadership, the Kenya Overseas Study Program flourished, shaping generations of students. For many years, students selected for the Kenya program were encouraged to study with Rich beforehand, often beginning with his beloved course, Africa Through the Novel.

Later in his career, Rich shifted his academic focus to Latin America. He learned Spanish and led students abroad to Ecuador in 1986 and Argentina in 1988, continuing his lifelong commitment to immersive, cross-cultural education.

Beyond academia, Rich was a gifted classical guitarist, a devoted traveler, an avid bird watcher, a prolific reader, a talented photographer, and lifelong learner. His love of cooking and food from other cultures brought him together with Neil and Joan Malling, Michael and Barbara Osmera, and Jeffrey Schwartz and Charlyn Wilson who started an internationally themed cooking and eating “Food Club” which continued for 36 years. After his retirement, Rich continued to lead student trips to Kenya and Tanzania and traveled extensively throughout the world, including Turkey, India, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, the Netherlands, and France.

After the passing of his wife Davy, Rich shared many meaningful years with his partner Phyllis Yes, an artist and art professor at Lewis & Clark College, whose creativity and companionship brought joy to his life.

Rich is survived by his brother Alan; sister-in-law Cheryl; nieces Kristyn (and her husband, Robert Yates) and Jordan; his grandniece Peyton; and his cousin, Mark Slegers and his wife, Carol. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Georgia and nieces Myka (and her husband Cullen Chambers) and Tiler (and her husband, Roman Mejia), the family of his late brother, Steve, who passed in 2023.

He will be remembered for his intellect, humility, curiosity, kindness, and the countless lives he shaped through teaching, friendship, and example.

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/richard-peck/obituary/

Copy