December 28, 1944 – August 31, 2020
Raleigh
Richard Alan Lindenmuth of Raleigh, North Carolina, passed peacefully on August 31.Born December 28, 1944 in Media, PA., he was married to his beloved Mary-Beth, and was predeceased by his father and mother Ralph and Evelyn Lindenmuth. He was an outdoorsman from an early age and learned how to hunt and fish. Athletics and music were also a big part of his life and he ended up on the winning team in the Pennsylvania Little League World Series. He learned to play trumpet and guitar, banjo, mandolin, and ukulele. He learned to play from friends Jim Croce, the Letterman, Peter, Paul and Mary, Jerry Garcia, and John Denver.
Dick began his early adult life with an enlistment in the United States Navy and graduated as a Class “A” radioman. He was stationed with NATO Allied Forces Southern Europe in Naples, Italy. He graduated from Penncrest High School (Media, PA), attended Wagner College, and graduated from the University of Colorado/Boulder and continued post graduate with an MBA in International Business from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Adult years molded Dick into the man he was; an avid lifelong learner in disparate fields. He was equally as comfortable dealing with heads of state as he was those on the shop floor.
He began his career on a 20,000 head cattle ranch in Colorado, and then joined the Singer Sewing Machine Company in treasury and international finance. This progressed into the General Manager role for the Middle East and Africa. He was the Director of International Operations for Bendix Aerospace, establishing joint ventures in France and Korea. He tied together acquired tech companies into one strategic unit (Unysis). He also was president of ITT’s Business and Consumer Communications Group through deregulation.
Dick was CEO of Robinson Nugent, an early technology company.
As an accomplished commercial pilot, he held an Airline Transport Rating, and helped recreate Piedmont Aviation’s aircraft maintenance operations. He was a pilot for Life Flights. He flew high enough to see the curvature of the earth on the edge of space.
Dick was among the most accomplished turn-around executives completing no fewer than 26 corporate turn-arounds. Dick was among a small group of executives who established and grew the Interim Executive field and served as Chairman of the initial Advisory Board of the Interim Executives Association.
Among just a few of the companies he turned around was Quantegy, Inc. where he was CEO. Quantegy was a manufacturer of videotape for the entertainment, broadcast, and aerospace industries as well as the federal government. He was the first CEO of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, and most recently the CEO of Styrotek in Bakersfield, California. He was Chairman of the Pacific Islands Club.
Dick was a managing director of Verto Partners, a corporate performance improvement, restructuring, interim exec firm accomplishing many turnarounds under Verto’s umbrella.
He consulted for the State Department in Middle Eastern affairs, living in Beirut and Athens. He spoke five languages fluently and was conversant in a half-dozen others as well. He traveled to every country in the world, only missing the continent of Antarctica. He was a rodeo cowboy in cutting, bull and bronc riding and has silver belts for proof. He was a certified scuba diving instructor, enjoyed golf, tennis, skiing and making music.
He wrote two books (The Outside the Box Executive and The International Executive).
He was admired and respected worldwide and lauded for being a most interesting man and lover of a good tale, a particularly keen sense of humor and the constant curiosity of new technology and learning. He was a life member of the National Quarter Horse Association, as well as the NRA where he was a certified instructor.
In addition to his wife Mary-Beth, his true love was spending time with his family. He leaves to celebrate his unparalleled life children Michael (Bloomington, IN), Carol (Stoneham, MA), Parker (Raleigh, NC), Stratton (Raleigh, NC) grandson Chase and soon to be born granddaughter Stella (Stoneham, MA) as well as his sister Deborah (Westchester, PA).
In lieu of flowers, those who wish may consider a donation to The American Legion or your favorite organization that supports our military veterans.
A private family ceremony will be held with potential for a celebration of life post COVID.