Richard Allerton Lyon

Nov 15, 1933 -

Jul 26, 2024

Richard Lyon, 90, of Seattle, Wash., passed away on July 26, 2024, from complications of Alzheimer's.

He was born in New York and moved to California as a young boy. He graduated from Berkeley with a degree in geology and started work with Union Oil before heading to Alaska in the late 1950s. He did field work all over the state and was involved in oil discovery on the North Slope. He served as Commissioner of Commerce for the state before moving to Seattle in the early '90s. While in Seattle, he met the love of his life, noted artist Sueellen Ross, who survives him. He retired from Trader Joe's, at the age of 82, as a customer service manager.

He also leaves behind his sister, Kyla Deremer of Seattle; as well as his four sons and their families: Steve and Nadia (Bry and Jessica), Doug and Rebecca (Sunny), Craig and Cheryl (Christopher, Travis, Sadie and Cooper) and Jack and Xoe.

He was involved in AA for 30-plus years, and was very committed to helping others achieve sobriety. He had a lifetime love for learning as well as playing guitar and singing. He never met a stranger and was quick with a good story or a joke.