Richard Francis Auwarter, devoted husband to Kathryn Evers Auwarter, beloved father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, died peacefully in his sleep on the morning of November 27, 2021. He was 89.

Richard was born in 1932 in Brooklyn, New York, the fourth and last child to Henry and Clara Auwarter. Along with his sister Doris, and brothers Henry and Raymond, he lived an idyllic urban childhood. In 1950 he graduated from Franklin K. Lane High School where he distinguished himself in academics and in the swimming pool as a champion backstroker.  

Like his brothers before him, Richard earned his bachelor’s degree from Columbia University where he continued to succeed in the pool and was a member of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corp, NROTC. Richard then served as an officer in the U.S. Navy in the early 1950s, after which he returned to Columbia University to earn a Master of Business Administration degree.

During both of his enrollments at Columbia, Richard used his accomplished swimming skills to serve as a lifeguard on New York’s renowned and crowded Jones Beach. It was here that he was introduced to Kathryn Elizabeth Evers of Massapequa, New York. They fell in love and married in July of 1958.

The newlyweds lived in Flushing Meadows, Queens, then Massapequa where they started a family. They eventually relocated to Norwalk, Connecticut where they lived the rest of their lives and raised seven children.

Richard was known throughout the neighborhood as a world-class tobogganer and a vicious ping-ponger. At Gin Rummy he was an unmatched champion. His victories in family competition were often rewarded with head rubs. He loved camping trips with his family, sailing, and tennis.

He worked at IBM for 35 years. A true “IBMer,” he fulfilled various roles on emerging and foundational technologies like mainframe, desktop, and local area network computing (LAN).

After retirement, Richard was active in the Catholic church and in St. Vincent’s Hospital’s Swim Across the Sound charity, which funds support programs for cancer patients. He was also a long-time mentor in the Norwalk Mentor program and led classes in Norwalk Community College’s Lifelong Learners curriculum.

In 1996 Richard was honored to be a torch carrier in the U.S. Olympic torch run. He carried the flame for a leg of the journey that led to the opening ceremony in Atlanta.

Richard is survived by his daughters, Mary Beth Weiler of Charlestown, RI, Ann Auwarter of New Rochelle, NY, Terese Fiore of Newtown, CT, Patricia Stevens of Appleton, WI, and Megan Dube of Alpharetta, GA; and by his sons David Auwarter of West Hartford, CT and Kevin Auwarter of Danbury, CT. He is also survived by 20 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. More than his accomplishments in business and in charity, these loving people are Richard’s lasting and monumental legacy.

A mass for Richard will be held on Thursday at 11:00AM at St. Jerome’s Church in Norwalk, followed by a private family gathering.