Richard John Hlava
Dec. 3, 1933-Dec. 30, 2022
Palo Alto, California
Rich Hlava died unexpectedly on December 30, from complications of pneumonia despite best emergency efforts to overcome them. He has left a large hole in the hearts of family and friends who knew him as a beloved gentle man and an inspiration for living purposefully.
Rich was born of loving parents, Ella and John Hlava who traded city life in Chicago to buy a small farm in the north woods of Hayward, Wisconsin. He was born Dec 3, 1933 on the kitchen table according to family lore, the middle child between 2 sisters. When his father died and Rich was deemed the man of the house at 13, his mother relied on him heavily. The farmhouse did not yet have indoor plumbing and there was much to be done to keep the farm going. Nonetheless Rich shined in his one room, schoolhouse, finishing all lessons a year early to become the tutor for the lower grades. He was always a good student and after high school, received an appointment to the US Naval Academy from which he graduated in 1957. Rich said it took him years to recognize it wasn’t his own bootstraps that launched him to Annapolis but the behind-the-scenes determination of a wise and hardworking mother.
After the Naval Academy and 4 years as an officer with the Pacific Fleet, Rich entered law school in Madison, WI soon learning that law was not his path. With a mixture of luck and talent that characterized his life, Rich landed at IBM, found his path and started his life-long love affair with computers. His skill in translating needs to computer solutions led him to Sears and a succession of companies, always in technology. Along the way he married, worked in Germany for 2 years, became a proud and loving father to Jeff and Nicole, and was eventually recruited as marketing VP for a company in the West. It was in California that he decided he wanted to be his own boss. Through hard work, time and trials, Rich created products that simplified rote tasks, and built a company serving the credit industry. More importantly, he created a positive workplace and became a much admired and respected boss to his employees.
On an amazing trajectory from a rural farm in the north woods, to Silicon Valley where he started and sold 2 companies, Rich didn’t skip a beat when it came to retirement. Now with more time, he took up new pursuits with enthusiasm. For years he managed the local Habitat for Humanity’s website and followed that with computer support for environmental groups. He embraced favorite new things like Sudoko and crossword puzzles. Sharing adventures with Jeannie Duisenberg, his life partner of 30+ years, he renewed interest in skiing, ran more Bay to Breakers, and got serious about hiking. He practiced on Bay Area and Tahoe peaks putting rocks in his backpack to equip him for tackling Rainier, Whitney, and Kilimanjaro.
Over time, cycling eclipsed Rich’s other enthusiasms. He challenged himself to long distance cycling trips, many solo, where he planned routes, timed for Motel 6s and trained for rides from Palo Alto to San Francisco, Santa Monica, Sonoma, Lake Tahoe and across Wisconsin. He championed yearly bike trips all over Europe with family and friends, always taking the lead and making sure he would ‘bike his age.’ In a nod to passing years, Rich eventually switched his count from miles to kilometers. In his mid-80’s he reluctantly gave up skiing when he and Jeannie made a spectacular collision with no sustained damage. It was a sign.
A true highlight for Rich was having grandchildren whom he cherished and they him. He was their ‘Bubba’ and they felt his warmth and interest in their lives. They loved his true and often harrowing stories like when he took command of his Navy ship from a captain faltering in a typhoon. Or stories of obtaining his GI-bill pilots license, when he flew in circumstances where boldness sometimes outranked caution. He was a risk taker but he was a navigator, always calm in a storm, real or metaphorical. It follows that he was also slow to anger—-unless you left the water running while brushing teeth or ran the dishwasher before fully packing it. As an ardent lover of the planet, concerned about climate change, he influenced behavior of all he touched with his earth-friendly ways.
Rich was also a political activist especially concerned about declining democracy. He followed politics closely, counted senators instead of sheep, and was up to date on current affairs. He went to marches, supported campaigns at all levels and in the last midterm elections personally wrote over 650 letters and postcards urging voting.
Rich is missed everyday by his son Jeff Hlava (Kate), daughter Nicole Hlava, Jeannie’s sons Erik (Devon), Tobin and Brandon (Karen) Duisenberg, his grandchildren Jack, Quinn, Carson and Kylie Hlava, Charlotte and Jasmine, and Georgia, Shane, and Asa Duisenberg and partner Jeannie Duisenberg. He is also missed by an extensive circle of family and friends who cherished him and most often described him as an inspiration. We believe that the best way to honor Rich’s life is to follow his lead and live lightly on the planet.
Tags: veteran, business
