Richard Patrick Liesching ’59

Richard Patrick Liesching ’59 died on August 21, 2018. He entered Dartmouth from Blundell’s School in Tiverton, England. He majored in French, was a member of Beta Theta Pi, and is best remembered for his contributions to the rugby club. An avid rugby player, Dick was well suited to coach and administrator the club. In the fall of 1958 he arranged a seven-game schedule against British sides. Dartmouth won five of those matches, impressing the British rugby community. Partly due to Dick’s efforts, the sport of rugby became widely popular in the United States. During his senior year the rugby club established the Dick Liesching Award, given annually to a team member for contributions on and off the pitch. In 2013 the club recognized Dick as a “Dartmouth Rugby Legend.” Following graduation from Dartmouth Dick entered the insurance industry, joining AIG. For nearly 10 years he worked principally in international locations, including Bermuda, Barbados, Lebanon, and Kenya, where he helped establish the first AIG office in Africa. While in Kenya, his former wife gave birth to their three sons. In 1968, following his return to the New York-Connecticut area, he opened a private investment firm and then, in the early 1990s, he became a residential realtor until his retirement in 2000. Dick leaves Diane, his wife of 28 years; sons Timothy and John and their wives; daughter-in-law Angela; 10 grandchildren; sister Joanna; and his former wife, Ellen. Son Robert Samuel predeceased him.