G. Richard Mahland
G. Richard (Dick) Mahland, loving husband of Michèle Wireback Mahland, passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by his family on April 19, 2019.
Dick was born in Brooklyn, NY on October 20, 1942, son of the late George H. and Sarah Swanson Mahland. He graduated from Mepham High School in Bellmore, NY where he distinguished himself as a talented football, basketball and baseball player. Dick graduated from Franklin and Marshall College with a BA in Economics where he was a leading scorer for the Diplomats basketball team, and a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity and Stewie’s All Stars, an improv troupe.
Upon graduation, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps before commencing a career designing and implementing corporate employee benefits and executive compensation programs with a particular expertise in defined benefit and defined contribution plans. A resident of Ridgefield since 1987, he was a member of the Ridgefield Men’s Golf Club and the Italian American Mutual Aid Society. He was a die-hard Mets and Jets fan.
In addition to golf, he had been an avid tennis player and skier. He was also a skilled carpenter who enjoyed building everything from decks and sandboxes to desks and tables. While he enjoyed traveling in Europe, his favorite vacations were in Cape May, NJ with his family. His great sense of humor, quick wit, inimitable story-telling technique and ability to reach out and befriend people will be remembered by all, but it was his love of family, loyalty to friends and commitment to friendships that will never be forgotten.
He and Michèle celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary at a party hosted by their children on April 27, 2018. He will be dearly missed by Michèle, his son, Erik, daughter-in-law, Heather, of New York, NY; daughter, Sloane and son-in-law, Edward Dunn of Armonk, NY. The four best grandchildren in the world, Terrence and Mark Dunn and Grace and Margaux Mahland, will always cherish memories of their Pa.
Friends are invited to a Celebration of Dick’s Life, which will take place on Saturday, May 4, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Ristorante Gallo, 5 Grove Street, Ridgefield. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Connecticut Westchester Hudson Valley Chapter, 3 Landmark Square, Suite 330, Stamford, CT 06901.