Richard A. Singer (1944-2026)

Obituary and Service:

Rick's obituary and details of his August 13th Celebration of Life (2:00-4:00 pm) in Halifax, NS can be found here.

About Rick:

Rick died July 13, 2026 , after a brief hospital stay.

 

Rick grew up in Evanston, Illinois, and graduated from Evanston Township High, leaving him with a lifelong devotion to the Cubs. At Princeton, he majored in biochemical sciences, joined Quadrangle Club, rowed freshman and varsity lightweight crew, and played interclub sports. Roommates included Tom Unterman, Bill Eddy, Howard Fredman, Steve Herrmann, Will Kaffenberger, and Dick Kates.

 

After graduating in 1967, Rick earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology at Harvard. He then moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, to accept a postdoctoral position at Dalhousie University. That position led to appointment as lecturer, then faculty member of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He taught biochemistry and conducted cancer research at Dalhousie until retirement in 2019.

 

Until Parkinson’s Disease ended his participation in sports, Rick was a dedicated runner and ice hockey player. In the 70s and 80s, he was heavily involved in the Nova Scotia tennis scene, as a competitive player, tournament organizer and referee, mentor to younger players, and member of the executive committee of the Nova Scotia Tennis Association.

 

Rick is survived by his wife Christine Barnes, son Charles, daughter Kristin, and grandchildren Torsten, Annika, and Linnea, to all of whom the Class extends its condolences.

Nassau Herald (1967):

Rick's responses to Dalhousie University faculty questionnaire:

Classmate Tributes

Steve Hermann:

I roomed with Rick sophomore year in a group of six with two sets of rooms in Holder Hall.  Rick was one of the nicest people I ever met. He was always finding ways to do things for others.

 

Rick was a serious student and spent his time studying and on crew.  He was excited about his plans to marry that summer.  After the marriage, they lived in off campus housing and invited us for dinner in their apartment since he was not around campus very much. I visited him in Boston a couple of times while he got his graduate degrees, but we lost contact after he went to Canada. I remember him fondly and am sure anyone he had contact will as well.

 

Will Kaffenberger:

 Rick took his studies very seriously. He was a nice guy but kept to himself. Altogether fitting that he turned his study traits into a life of scholarship. 

 

Lightweight JV Crew (Classmates from left: McGinley 2nd, Hansen 3rd,

Singer 5th, Slaybaugh cox in front)


 

If you have photos, information, or memories that you wish to share, please send them to the '66 Memorial Team (66_MemorialTeam@GoogleGroups.com). We'll add them to this page.