Richard Lee Hildebrand's Obituary
Richard Lee Hildebrand passed away on Tuesday, May 16th, at 10:30 am at Maui Memorial Hospital in Hawaii. He was predeceased by his parents John Claude Hildebrand and Janice Darlene Briggs and sisters Arlinda and Carla Hildebrand. He is survived by his son Chris Hildebrand, Maui; son Sean Hildebrand, daughter-in-law Kim and grandson Luke, Seattle; sisters Carol, Marsha and Kim and brothers Mike, Joe and Steve, along with numerous nieces, nephews and their children.
Rich was born May 8, 1947, in Mitchell, SD. After high school he met and married Sandra Jean Abbott and became the proud father of his two sons. During this time he joined the United States Air Force and relocated to Texas and Colorado. Later he moved his family to Spokane, WA, where he attended Gonzaga Law School and received his law degree. After graduating, he moved his family to Seattle where he began his career as a lawyer. He also worked at the Human Rights Commission and later the Seattle Times. Rich and his family loved and enjoyed the beauty of the Pacific Northwest for several decades.
In the mid-1990's, Rich relocated to Hawaii and settled in Kihei Maui. Over time, he met numerous local people and became familiar with the traditions and culture of Hawaii, a culture he came to love and respect. In 2004 Rich started a new chapter of his life when he found a new life in sobriety. This June he would have celebrated 19 years of sobriety. During this time he established many new relationships and friendships and helped numerous people get sober and find a better way of living. He also worked at Maui Recovery Center where he was active on a daily basis helping people in his community. He was never unavailable day or night. This was his passion. Rich also made a living taking care of his friends’ animals and often had a number with him whether it be dogs or birds. The last few years of his life, he had been studying hypnosis and had just graduated. He was looking forward to the next chapter of helping as many as he could.
Rich’s devoted family and his many friends will miss him very, very much.
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