Legendary swing, legendary life
Richard Cho, born in Korea before there was a distinction of the 38th parallel, a former coal miner from Germany who later served in the U.S. Navy and ran a family of retail stores in Massachusetts and New York, passed away peacefully—though if you ask him, nothing about life was ever that quiet.
Richard’s life was a cocktail of grit, discipline, and devotion—minus the actual cocktail. He neither smoked, drank, nor gambled, though somehow his kids never quite picked up that trifecta of restraint. Born in 1936, a time when affection was measured more in deeds than hugs, Richard defied the mold. He was tough by necessity but tender by choice, especially toward his children.
He once hit a hole-in-one at Bethpage Black, a feat celebrated by golfers everywhere and—on the same day—by Long Island burglars who chose that exact moment to rob his home. It’s said he spent more time explaining his perfect swing to police than the missing valuables. Priorities.
He is survived by the love of his life, Deborah, his wife of 52 years and co-captain of their family’s adventures; his dashing son Daniel and beautiful grandsons Lancaster and Dominic; and his even more dashing eldest son David, whose wife Cecille and children Tristan and Devyn carry forward Richard’s impeccable hairline (which his two sons only wished they could’ve had) and impenetrable work ethic.
What Richard leaves behind is more than some incomparable experiences and infectious laughs. He leaves behind a family that laughs easily, hugs often, and aspires to live with the same quiet strength and sharp swing he modeled every day. He built his legacy not with fanfare, but with constancy—day by day, store by store, sacrifice by sacrifice.
We’ll miss him at dinner tables, golf courses, and life’s many tee boxes. But we’ll carry him with us, every time we get back up, work a little harder, or tell a story that’s mostly true—but told better.
Rest easy, Dad.
Your swing was flawless…ok, well, maybe not flawless because it was not very good-looking… but effective.