Richards Kennedy Farnham, a teacher at Palisades High School from 1961 to 1990 and a resident of Santa Monica, passed away on December 13. He was 90 years old. Richards was born in Thermopolis, Wyomin,g on July 27, 1920, while his parents were en route from South Dakota to Los Angeles, where his father and grandfather were going to take over a mining assay business. The family settled in the Altadena area on what was then ranch land, where Richards raised rabbits and guinea pigs and attended Pasadena city schools, including Pasadena Junior College. This ranching life led to a lifelong fascination with animals. Summers spent at mining operations managed by his father in desert areas around Death Valley and in Arizona introduced Richards to the reptiles of the Southwest, so that by the time he graduated from high school, he had a large snake and lizard collection in the family garage. At UCLA, he majored and graduated in zoology but always preferred the study of reptiles. While at UCLA, he met and married Carolyn Marie Bartlett, before he enlisted in the Army in 1942 as a first lieutenant, serving in the Pacific from 1942 until VJ Day. Returning to UCLA, Richards earned his master’s degree in zoology with a teaching credential and began working at University High School in West Los Angeles in 1950. He was on the original staff hired at Palisades High when the school opened in 1961. He was the science department chairman until his retirement in 1990. Richards’ passion for animals carried over into his biology classroom, which was always filled with living specimens of lizards, snakes, toads and turtles from all over the world. Thousands of students studied biology, surrounded by an amazing assortment of living creatures. Richards spent countless hours caring for his animal collection that, for many years, even included a sea turtle. He was able to take his hobby and passion and make it part of his career. His family and friends will greatly miss Richards, whose knowledge and love of animals inspired many of his students to become involved with biology themselves and even become amateur herpetologists. His unique personality made him a great teacher, and winner of a Golden Apple Award from the L.A. School District in 1980. He was preceded in death by his wife, Carolyn, and a son, Carl. He is survived by his son, Paul (wife Laurel) of Fortuna, California; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. A remembrance of Richards Farnham will be held for family and friends on Saturday, January 29 at 11 a.m. at the main branch of the Santa Monica Public Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd. Friends who would like to leave thoughts or memories of Dick may do so at http://richards.farnham.muchloved.com. Donations in his memory can be made to the Forever Wild Exotics Animal Sanctuary in Phelan, California.
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