WOLFF, Dr. Richard Hinckley

Dr. Wolff died peacefully in his sleep, on March 22, 2024, after a well-lived life. He was 95. A longtime resident of West Newton and Wellfleet, MA. At the time of his death, he resided at Springhouse Senior Living, in Jamaica Plain, MA.

Dr. Wolff was born on August 5, 1928 in Montclair, New Jersey. He enlisted in the Army after high school, just as World War II was ending and served in Japan in 1946-1947. He received his AB from Rutgers University and his MD from Temple School of Medicine. He started his professional career as a Psychiatrist at Boston State Hospital. There, he met his future wife, June Elizabeth Deeb Johnson-Wolff, 1926-2017, as well as many colleagues who became lifelong friends. He also worked at Boston Children’s Hospital and maintained a long-time private practice. In the later part of his career, he worked at the Veterans Administration.

Richard loved music, traveling, reading, theatre, photography and science. In “retirement,” he tutored immigrants in English as a Second Language through the Newton Public Library, for several decades. Quiet and ever curious, he loved fixing and building things. Sailing was a passion and he built his own iceboat, which he sailed over the frozen lakes of New England. He was an avid astronomy and photography buff and built telescopes over the years.

Richard with his wife, June, spent over 60 summers in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. They loved visiting galleries and their daily walks on the beaches and dunes of the outer cape. They were especially fond of Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary Society and were lifetime members. Richard and June were both avid readers of The Boston Globe and believed passionately in the role free press plays in a democracy. He was also a supporter of The Local Journalism Project in partnership with the Provincetown Independent.

He is survived by his stepson, Robert S. Johnson; daughter-in-law, Katherine Alford; grandson, Asher Johnson; his sister and brother in-law, Marcia and Jeff Shapiro of Sharon, MA; and sisterin-law, Lie Wolff of San Francisco; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Donations can be made in his name to Wildlife Sanctuary Society, 291 State Highway, Route 6, South Wellfleet, MA 02663 or wellfleet@massaudubon.org