Richard “Dick” Irvine McLaren
Richard “Dick” Irvine McLaren passed away February 21, 2022 at his home.
Dick was born June 6, 1934 in Astoria, Oregon. As a student at Oregon State University, he was a brother of Lambda Chi Alpha and graduated with a degree in chemical engineering. Following his graduation, he married Gail Carolyn West on June 16, 1957. They had two children, Jennifer and Steven.
Dick began his career with Dow Chemical in Midland, Michigan, but shortly after moved to Alexandria, Virginia to fulfill a commitment to the Army. Upon completion, he resumed his career with E. I DuPont de Nemours in the chemicals and pigments division. He spent 34 years with DuPont, including roles in Belmont, California; Lake Oswego, Oregon; Edina, Minnesota; Deerfield, Illinois; Arcadia, California; Oakland, California; Chicago, Illinois; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Some of his favorite memories were in Minnesota where his family enjoyed camping trips, canoeing, and exploring the wilderness.
Upon retirement, Dick and Gail moved to Santa Barbara, California. Grandpa Dick relished the opportunity to spend time hosting his grandchildren and their families. Dick was a highly engaged citizen of the Santa Barbara community; he was a long-time season ticket holder for the Santa Barbara Symphony, served as a docent for the Natural History Museum’s whale watching program, enjoyed weekly swim classes at the Rehabilitation Institute, and pursued his passion for watercolor painting through classes with local artist Rick Stitch. After his wife Gail passed away in 2015, Dick moved to the retirement community of Vista Del Monte. He was very involved at Vista Del Monte and greatly enjoyed the many friendships he built.
Dick’s ashes will be entombed next to his wife’s at the Santa Barbara Cemetery.
Dick is survived by his daughter Jennifer Saad (Samir); his son Steven McLaren (Angela); his grandchildren Drew Saad (Alexandra), Elena McLaren, Colin McLaren; his wife’s cousin Gary Ashford (Yasuko); and his half-brothers Sandy McLaren (Jan), Ritchie McLaren (Judy) and Norm McLaren (Mary).