Richard Erbacher

Richard Erbacher died peacefully on March 16th, 2015, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He was 79. Born in Richmond Hill, New York in 1939, he attended Richmond Hill High School before receiving his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in History from Albany State University. He went on to receive a second Master's degree in Asian Studies from the University of Hawaii's East-West Center. Richard taught history at Division Avenue High School in Levittown, New York for 30 years. There he was a beloved teacher and a cherished member of the theater community, directing ambitious musical productions such as The Sound of Music and Oliver, and inspiring his students to pursue careers in teaching as well as the theater arts. Himself a beautiful tenor, he was a member of church choirs in both New York and New Mexico and performed as a young man in summer stock productions in Kennebunkport, Maine and at The Jan House Theater off-Broadway. After his retirement, Richard traveled the world, making treks to six different continents, often by cruise, and often with his life-long friend, Donald Murphy. He made homes away from home in Indonesia and India, staying for extended visits with friends he'd made during his time at the East-West Center. Richard was a brilliant teacher, a wonderful friend, a devoted brother, and a doting uncle and granduncle. He is preceded in death by his friend Donald Murphy and survived by his sister, Wilma (Billie) Fountain and her husband Albert Fountain, both of Mesilla, New Mexico, his nephew, Altie Fountain of Mesilla, his niece Carrie Fountain and her husband, Kirk Lynn, of Austin, Texas, and his grandniece Olive Lynn Fountain and grandnephew, Judah Lynn Fountain. Celebrations of Richard's life will take place in Mesilla, New Mexico at a date to be announced and on Long Island, New York in May. PDF Printable Version