Richard H. Bryer

RICHARD H. BRYER
3/16/28-3/11/15
Saratoga, Calif.

After a short illness, Dick died peacefully at home of Stage 4 lung cancer, surrounded by his wife and two children and attended by his Kaiser Hospice nurse.
Born in Watertown, N.Y., the only child of Harry R. Bryer, a former World War I Army officer, and Lily R. Bryer, he grew up during the depression in Carthage, N.Y., and Daytona Beach, Fla.,, his mother’s hometown. He graduated in 1949 from Clarkson University with a degree in chemical engineering, worked a short time for New York Airbrake Company and in 1950 was drafted into the Army during the Korean War. He served 2 years in chemical technical intelligence and was discharged in 1952 as a sergeant first class. He next worked as a production engineer for Sylvania in research and development of aluminized TV tubes in Ottawa, Ohio, and Seneca Falls, N.Y.
In 1954 he left to begin law school under the GI Bill at George Washington University in D.C., working as a patent engineer at Burroughs Corp. during the day and attending law school at night. In D.C. he met Judy, his wife to be, who was working for the U.S. Department of State. At GW he was an editor of the Law Review and in 1957 received his juris doctor degree with honors, passed the D.C. bar and was admitted to practice by the U.S. Patent Office. He worked for Bell Telephone Labs in Murray Hill, N.J., as an intellectual property attorney for six years until 1963, when he was recruited by Lockheed Missiles and Space in Sunnyvale, Calif., as associate patent counsel.
He and Judy drove across the United States and purchased a home in Saratoga where they raised their two children, Rick and Eva. A devoted father, he took the family on many tent-camping trips throughout Northern California while they were growing up, attended Eva’s numerous equestrian vaulting competitions and horse shows, sailed his Sunfish with all aboard at Vasona & Royal Pines Lake Club, participated in Webelos and Indian Guides with Rick, and Indian Princesses with Eva. He loved the sun and the seashore, so there were many outings to ocean beaches in California and Hawaii. He was a longtime member of Saratoga Federated Church, where he served a term on the foundation.
After 30 years at Lockheed he retired in 1993, and enjoyed traveling with Judy and occasionally their children to Europe, Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica and many times to Hawaii. He was active in the Southwest Y, SIRS & the Herschel Brown Lunch Club for retired Lockheed executives. A season ticket holder of San Jose Rep, Silicon Valley Symphony and San Jose Opera, he and Judy also enjoyed a weekly movie and dinner with friends. A very charming and friendly man with a twinkle in his eye, he was interested in everyone he met and could strike up a conversation with anyone, serving as mentor to several young people along the way.
In addition to his wife of 56 years and his two children, he is survived by 3 grandchildren, Kaveh and Mitra Pezeshki of Menlo Park and Makayla Bryer of San Jose, his son-in-law Bardia Pezeshki and daughter-in-law Sharon Bryer.
A memorial service is planned for Sunday, June 14, at 2 p.m. at Saratoga Federated Church, 20390 Park Place, Saratoga, Calif.