Richard W. Anthony

Sep 3, 1945 -

Oct 25, 2024

Richard Wesley Anthony was born on Sept. 3, 1945, to Willard, aka Tony, Anthony and Florence (Newman) Anthony in San Diego, Calif. Florence always said that it was a true "labor" day. He spent his early and young adult years in San Diego and being a mischievous teen with a penchant for getting into trouble, he was told by a gymnastics coach to join that club or end up in juvie. Richard, 15-plus and cocky, choose gymnastics and in only three years was top ranked in the western U.S. with a four-year full scholarship to Penn State and a berth on the 1964 U.S. Olympics gymnastics team. That dream was lost when he broke his neck in a freak trampoline accident in September 1963. Told that he would be a quadriplegic for life, he designed his own physical therapy program and went on to race motorcycles in track and trail – a forerunner to motocross- race automobiles, sail, also train, ride and sell English jumping horses, downhill ski and generally enjoy a full life. During this time, his marriage to Glenna Jacket produced two sons: Richard Allen and Scott Wesley. In Richard's work life he drifted into banking and found true enjoyment in the financial industry. This took him from San Diego to Salt Lake City, Utah, to Casper, Jackson Hole and Saratoga, Wyo. During this period, his marriage to Judith Acord gave him two more sons: Justin Andrew and Spencer Patrick.

On Feb. 14, 1981, he married Nancy Straus and an almost 44-year adventure began, first in Baggs, Wyo., where they built and ran Valley State Bank. After answering an ad in the Wall Street Journal, they moved to Anchorage, Alaska, in August 1983, both employed in the upper levels of the banking industry. In 1986, tired of having banks literally fail around them, he and Nancy studied for and passed the exams for securities and investment licensing, founding Alaska Financial Professionals, growing it into a $55 million business with 200-plus clients in 26 states and five countries.

When Justin and Spencer were old enough to fly unaccompanied, a different adventure began - introducing two young boys to the joys of the Alaska wilderness, with fly-in wilderness fishing camps, halibut and salmon fishing, the care and safe use of firearms and prospecting across Alaska and Canada for gold - and Richard could always find gold! Each summer, the boys were sent home with about $150 each in small nuggets and flakes. Those were truly great times!

A true renaissance man, Richard was an accomplished amateur photographer and an artist in the creation of stained glass, using his own patterns and designs. He was extremely talented at crewel embroidery, with designs so flawless and flowing that Nancy said he literally painted with thread. Sadly, he had to give up embroidery because chemotherapy for colon cancer in 2011 caused neuropathy in his fingers - he could no longer hold or feel a needle.

Richard developed dementia in his early 70s, and despite the care provided by Nancy and the medical community, he succumbed to complications of the disease on Oct. 25, 2024.

He was preceded in death by his parents, stepparents and infant granddaughter, Marissa. Surviving him are his wife of 43-plus years, Nancy; sons, Scott, Justin and Spencer; and grandchildren, Morgan and Jason.

At his wish, no services or memorial will be held. His cremated remains will be mixed Nancy's at a later date, and they will be spread in Thumb Cove and Resurrection Bay, site of many wonderful fishing and kayak trips.

A life lived this fully cannot be described in mere words.

You are truly missed, my dearest love, but we will meet again. Keep on prospecting up there!