Richard Edward Rainwater, philanthropist, legendary and renowned investor, father, husband, mentor, loyal friend and native Texan, passed away Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015, at his home in Fort Worth. He was 71. Services to celebrate a man whose life can be defined by its optimism, generosity, belief in his loved ones as well as his colleagues and friends will be held Friday, Oct. 2, at Broadway Baptist Church, 305 W. Broadway Ave., Fort Worth, at 11 a.m. A reception will be held at The 81 Club, 81 Horseshoe Drive, in Fort Worth immediately following the service. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be offered to the Rainwater Neurological Research Fund, www.cfntx.org/rainwater. To make a memorial gift to this fund by check, please mail to Community Foundation of North Texas, 306 West 7th St., Suite 1045, Fort Worth, Texas 76102. In the memo section of your check, please write: Rainwater Neurological Research Fund. In addition, the family plans to announce details for a memorial service to be held in New York City on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015. Since 2009, Richard fought valiantly against a debilitating and rare neurological disease, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Along with his family's foundation, he spent the latter part of his life funding and actively engaging the international medical community to launch a bold research effort to combat PSP and discover a cure. His significant investment into brain research and neurodegenerative diseases has been called transformational; the goal is to find a treatment for brain-related diseases.
Survivors: Richard is survived by his wife, Darla Moore; three children from a prior marriage, Courtney Rainwater, Todd Rainwater and his wife, Lowisa, Matthew Rainwater and his wife, Jessica; as well as Richard's brother, Walter Rainwater; sister-in-law, Lori; and nieces, Kelley and Kathryn. He also leaves behind hundreds of friends, business colleagues and people Richard mentored and launched into entrepreneurship as well as the numerous causes he funded and the countless individuals who were deeply touched by his generosity. "A person's legacy is truly who they leave behind," said Darla Moore, "and Richard populated this country with extraordinary talent that he recognized when they were very young. Not many people are generous with their time when mentoring young people. Richard was the exception." Richard has not made any public appearances since 2010. His son Matthew said his father was the personification of heroism as he battled the illness. "There is an extraordinary untold story about his heroism and bravery as the symptoms worsened. He was determined to embrace every available moment with his loved ones, and he resolved to establish a robust platform for long-term research into tau-related diseases such as PSP and Alzheimer's disease," said Matthew. "It's another example of him actually 'willing' something into reality." Richard's life was undoubtedly extended because of the extraordinary care he received over the last 5 1/2 years. The family is deeply appreciative of Stephen Boyd, Jerry Harper, Robert Patterson, Eric Thompson, Barry Lee, Norman Finley, Rick Castle, Scott Rhode and Bennie Dears. Their loving, professional and attentive care added much quality to Richard's life. Former President George W. Bush partnered with Richard and Rusty Rose in 1989 to purchase the Texas Rangers MLB club. Mr. Bush issued a statement about his friend. "I was so saddened to learn that my friend Richard Rainwater died this weekend. Richard had a brilliant mind and a generous heart. He was a lot of fun, inspiring to be around, and generous and courageous to the very end. Laura and I send our deepest sympathies to his beloved wife, Darla, and to the children he was so proud of: Matthew, Courtney, and Todd. We also send our condolences to his loyal brother, Walter, and to Richard's family, friends, and staff who loved and cared for him." Those sentiments were echoed across the country, from Deepdale Golf Club where the flags flew at half-mast to the offices of some of the most powerful people in business to a family that Richard seeded money in order to teach a colleague's children how to give money to worthy charities. Richard's friend Ken Hersh called the loss of his friend immeasurable. "I truly believe he was the godfather of the North American private investment business," Hersh said. "He created an atmosphere and environment where accomplished, ambitious, entrepreneurial and creative people could work." With all of his business success, family and friends were paramount to Richard, and they describe him as playful. In fact, once he was quoted as saying, "I don't feel like it's in anybody's interest to take themselves and life so seriously that they can't have fun." Richard's "fun" came on the golf course, and he was once a partner in the famed Pebble Beach Golf Club. He also invented a new form of friendly competitive golf for rounds with friends; the game was labeled as "Two Ball." A self-described fitness fanatic, Richard, prior to the onset of his illness, was an avid marathon runner. He also loved motorsports and sponsored cars, most notably a 1957 "muscle car," in competitions.
Born June 15, 1944, to Walter J. Rainwater Sr., a wholesale grocer, and Regina Dieb Rainwater, a J.C. Penney sales clerk, Richard treasured his Texas roots. He grew up in his native Fort Worth, graduating from R.L. Paschal High School, and he remained a steadfast Panthers fan. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas and had an MBA from Stanford University. At age 26, Sid Bass, a former classmate, hired Rainwater as an investment manager for the Bass family fortune. He directed the Bass fortune of $50 million into $5 billion between 1970 and 1986. In fact, he assisted Michael Eisner when he was Disney CEO to increase his fortune into billions of dollars. In 1986, Richard started his own firm, Rainwater Inc., and successfully acquired stakes in companies such as Columbia/HCA Healthcare, Ensco International, Pioneer Natural Resources, Mid Ocean Limited and Crescent Real Estate Equities. His success as an investor is legendary, prompting the New York Times to describe him this week as a "quiet mover of wealth and power" in the country.
Published in Star-Telegram from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, 2015
Survivors: Richard is survived by his wife, Darla Moore; three children from a prior marriage, Courtney Rainwater, Todd Rainwater and his wife, Lowisa, Matthew Rainwater and his wife, Jessica; as well as Richard's brother, Walter Rainwater; sister-in-law, Lori; and nieces, Kelley and Kathryn. He also leaves behind hundreds of friends, business colleagues and people Richard mentored and launched into entrepreneurship as well as the numerous causes he funded and the countless individuals who were deeply touched by his generosity. "A person's legacy is truly who they leave behind," said Darla Moore, "and Richard populated this country with extraordinary talent that he recognized when they were very young. Not many people are generous with their time when mentoring young people. Richard was the exception." Richard has not made any public appearances since 2010. His son Matthew said his father was the personification of heroism as he battled the illness. "There is an extraordinary untold story about his heroism and bravery as the symptoms worsened. He was determined to embrace every available moment with his loved ones, and he resolved to establish a robust platform for long-term research into tau-related diseases such as PSP and Alzheimer's disease," said Matthew. "It's another example of him actually 'willing' something into reality." Richard's life was undoubtedly extended because of the extraordinary care he received over the last 5 1/2 years. The family is deeply appreciative of Stephen Boyd, Jerry Harper, Robert Patterson, Eric Thompson, Barry Lee, Norman Finley, Rick Castle, Scott Rhode and Bennie Dears. Their loving, professional and attentive care added much quality to Richard's life. Former President George W. Bush partnered with Richard and Rusty Rose in 1989 to purchase the Texas Rangers MLB club. Mr. Bush issued a statement about his friend. "I was so saddened to learn that my friend Richard Rainwater died this weekend. Richard had a brilliant mind and a generous heart. He was a lot of fun, inspiring to be around, and generous and courageous to the very end. Laura and I send our deepest sympathies to his beloved wife, Darla, and to the children he was so proud of: Matthew, Courtney, and Todd. We also send our condolences to his loyal brother, Walter, and to Richard's family, friends, and staff who loved and cared for him." Those sentiments were echoed across the country, from Deepdale Golf Club where the flags flew at half-mast to the offices of some of the most powerful people in business to a family that Richard seeded money in order to teach a colleague's children how to give money to worthy charities. Richard's friend Ken Hersh called the loss of his friend immeasurable. "I truly believe he was the godfather of the North American private investment business," Hersh said. "He created an atmosphere and environment where accomplished, ambitious, entrepreneurial and creative people could work." With all of his business success, family and friends were paramount to Richard, and they describe him as playful. In fact, once he was quoted as saying, "I don't feel like it's in anybody's interest to take themselves and life so seriously that they can't have fun." Richard's "fun" came on the golf course, and he was once a partner in the famed Pebble Beach Golf Club. He also invented a new form of friendly competitive golf for rounds with friends; the game was labeled as "Two Ball." A self-described fitness fanatic, Richard, prior to the onset of his illness, was an avid marathon runner. He also loved motorsports and sponsored cars, most notably a 1957 "muscle car," in competitions.
Born June 15, 1944, to Walter J. Rainwater Sr., a wholesale grocer, and Regina Dieb Rainwater, a J.C. Penney sales clerk, Richard treasured his Texas roots. He grew up in his native Fort Worth, graduating from R.L. Paschal High School, and he remained a steadfast Panthers fan. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas and had an MBA from Stanford University. At age 26, Sid Bass, a former classmate, hired Rainwater as an investment manager for the Bass family fortune. He directed the Bass fortune of $50 million into $5 billion between 1970 and 1986. In fact, he assisted Michael Eisner when he was Disney CEO to increase his fortune into billions of dollars. In 1986, Richard started his own firm, Rainwater Inc., and successfully acquired stakes in companies such as Columbia/HCA Healthcare, Ensco International, Pioneer Natural Resources, Mid Ocean Limited and Crescent Real Estate Equities. His success as an investor is legendary, prompting the New York Times to describe him this week as a "quiet mover of wealth and power" in the country.
Published in Star-Telegram from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, 2015
Richard Edward Rainwater, philanthropist, legendary and renowned investor, father, husband, mentor, loyal friend and native Texan, passed away Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015, at his home in Fort Worth. He was 71. Services to celebrate a man whose life can be defined by its optimism, generosity, belief in his loved ones as well as his colleagues and friends will be held Friday, Oct. 2, at Broadway Baptist Church, 305 W. Broadway Ave., Fort Worth, at 11 a.m. A reception will be held at The 81 Club, 81 Horseshoe Drive, in Fort Worth immediately following the service. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be offered to the Rainwater Neurological Research Fund, www.cfntx.org/rainwater. To make a memorial gift to this fund by check, please mail to Community Foundation of North Texas, 306 West 7th St., Suite 1045, Fort Worth, Texas 76102. In the memo section of your check, please write: Rainwater Neurological Research Fund. In addition, the family plans to announce details for a memorial service to be held in New York City on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015. Since 2009, Richard fought valiantly against a debilitating and rare neurological disease, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Along with his family's foundation, he spent the latter part of his life funding and actively engaging the international medical community to launch a bold research effort to combat PSP and discover a cure. His significant investment into brain research and neurodegenerative diseases has been called transformational; the goal is to find a treatment for brain-related diseases.
Survivors: Richard is survived by his wife, Darla Moore; three children from a prior marriage, Courtney Rainwater, Todd Rainwater and his wife, Lowisa, Matthew Rainwater and his wife, Jessica; as well as Richard's brother, Walter Rainwater; sister-in-law, Lori; and nieces, Kelley and Kathryn. He also leaves behind hundreds of friends, business colleagues and people Richard mentored and launched into entrepreneurship as well as the numerous causes he funded and the countless individuals who were deeply touched by his generosity. "A person's legacy is truly who they leave behind," said Darla Moore, "and Richard populated this country with extraordinary talent that he recognized when they were very young. Not many people are generous with their time when mentoring young people. Richard was the exception." Richard has not made any public appearances since 2010. His son Matthew said his father was the personification of heroism as he battled the illness. "There is an extraordinary untold story about his heroism and bravery as the symptoms worsened. He was determined to embrace every available moment with his loved ones, and he resolved to establish a robust platform for long-term research into tau-related diseases such as PSP and Alzheimer's disease," said Matthew. "It's another example of him actually 'willing' something into reality." Richard's life was undoubtedly extended because of the extraordinary care he received over the last 5 1/2 years. The family is deeply appreciative of Stephen Boyd, Jerry Harper, Robert Patterson, Eric Thompson, Barry Lee, Norman Finley, Rick Castle, Scott Rhode and Bennie Dears. Their loving, professional and attentive care added much quality to Richard's life. Former President George W. Bush partnered with Richard and Rusty Rose in 1989 to purchase the Texas Rangers MLB club. Mr. Bush issued a statement about his friend. "I was so saddened to learn that my friend Richard Rainwater died this weekend. Richard had a brilliant mind and a generous heart. He was a lot of fun, inspiring to be around, and generous and courageous to the very end. Laura and I send our deepest sympathies to his beloved wife, Darla, and to the children he was so proud of: Matthew, Courtney, and Todd. We also send our condolences to his loyal brother, Walter, and to Richard's family, friends, and staff who loved and cared for him." Those sentiments were echoed across the country, from Deepdale Golf Club where the flags flew at half-mast to the offices of some of the most powerful people in business to a family that Richard seeded money in order to teach a colleague's children how to give money to worthy charities. Richard's friend Ken Hersh called the loss of his friend immeasurable. "I truly believe he was the godfather of the North American private investment business," Hersh said. "He created an atmosphere and environment where accomplished, ambitious, entrepreneurial and creative people could work." With all of his business success, family and friends were paramount to Richard, and they describe him as playful. In fact, once he was quoted as saying, "I don't feel like it's in anybody's interest to take themselves and life so seriously that they can't have fun." Richard's "fun" came on the golf course, and he was once a partner in the famed Pebble Beach Golf Club. He also invented a new form of friendly competitive golf for rounds with friends; the game was labeled as "Two Ball." A self-described fitness fanatic, Richard, prior to the onset of his illness, was an avid marathon runner. He also loved motorsports and sponsored cars, most notably a 1957 "muscle car," in competitions.
Born June 15, 1944, to Walter J. Rainwater Sr., a wholesale grocer, and Regina Dieb Rainwater, a J.C. Penney sales clerk, Richard treasured his Texas roots. He grew up in his native Fort Worth, graduating from R.L. Paschal High School, and he remained a steadfast Panthers fan. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas and had an MBA from Stanford University. At age 26, Sid Bass, a former classmate, hired Rainwater as an investment manager for the Bass family fortune. He directed the Bass fortune of $50 million into $5 billion between 1970 and 1986. In fact, he assisted Michael Eisner when he was Disney CEO to increase his fortune into billions of dollars. In 1986, Richard started his own firm, Rainwater Inc., and successfully acquired stakes in companies such as Columbia/HCA Healthcare, Ensco International, Pioneer Natural Resources, Mid Ocean Limited and Crescent Real Estate Equities. His success as an investor is legendary, prompting the New York Times to describe him this week as a "quiet mover of wealth and power" in the country.
Published in Star-Telegram from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, 2015
Survivors: Richard is survived by his wife, Darla Moore; three children from a prior marriage, Courtney Rainwater, Todd Rainwater and his wife, Lowisa, Matthew Rainwater and his wife, Jessica; as well as Richard's brother, Walter Rainwater; sister-in-law, Lori; and nieces, Kelley and Kathryn. He also leaves behind hundreds of friends, business colleagues and people Richard mentored and launched into entrepreneurship as well as the numerous causes he funded and the countless individuals who were deeply touched by his generosity. "A person's legacy is truly who they leave behind," said Darla Moore, "and Richard populated this country with extraordinary talent that he recognized when they were very young. Not many people are generous with their time when mentoring young people. Richard was the exception." Richard has not made any public appearances since 2010. His son Matthew said his father was the personification of heroism as he battled the illness. "There is an extraordinary untold story about his heroism and bravery as the symptoms worsened. He was determined to embrace every available moment with his loved ones, and he resolved to establish a robust platform for long-term research into tau-related diseases such as PSP and Alzheimer's disease," said Matthew. "It's another example of him actually 'willing' something into reality." Richard's life was undoubtedly extended because of the extraordinary care he received over the last 5 1/2 years. The family is deeply appreciative of Stephen Boyd, Jerry Harper, Robert Patterson, Eric Thompson, Barry Lee, Norman Finley, Rick Castle, Scott Rhode and Bennie Dears. Their loving, professional and attentive care added much quality to Richard's life. Former President George W. Bush partnered with Richard and Rusty Rose in 1989 to purchase the Texas Rangers MLB club. Mr. Bush issued a statement about his friend. "I was so saddened to learn that my friend Richard Rainwater died this weekend. Richard had a brilliant mind and a generous heart. He was a lot of fun, inspiring to be around, and generous and courageous to the very end. Laura and I send our deepest sympathies to his beloved wife, Darla, and to the children he was so proud of: Matthew, Courtney, and Todd. We also send our condolences to his loyal brother, Walter, and to Richard's family, friends, and staff who loved and cared for him." Those sentiments were echoed across the country, from Deepdale Golf Club where the flags flew at half-mast to the offices of some of the most powerful people in business to a family that Richard seeded money in order to teach a colleague's children how to give money to worthy charities. Richard's friend Ken Hersh called the loss of his friend immeasurable. "I truly believe he was the godfather of the North American private investment business," Hersh said. "He created an atmosphere and environment where accomplished, ambitious, entrepreneurial and creative people could work." With all of his business success, family and friends were paramount to Richard, and they describe him as playful. In fact, once he was quoted as saying, "I don't feel like it's in anybody's interest to take themselves and life so seriously that they can't have fun." Richard's "fun" came on the golf course, and he was once a partner in the famed Pebble Beach Golf Club. He also invented a new form of friendly competitive golf for rounds with friends; the game was labeled as "Two Ball." A self-described fitness fanatic, Richard, prior to the onset of his illness, was an avid marathon runner. He also loved motorsports and sponsored cars, most notably a 1957 "muscle car," in competitions.
Born June 15, 1944, to Walter J. Rainwater Sr., a wholesale grocer, and Regina Dieb Rainwater, a J.C. Penney sales clerk, Richard treasured his Texas roots. He grew up in his native Fort Worth, graduating from R.L. Paschal High School, and he remained a steadfast Panthers fan. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas and had an MBA from Stanford University. At age 26, Sid Bass, a former classmate, hired Rainwater as an investment manager for the Bass family fortune. He directed the Bass fortune of $50 million into $5 billion between 1970 and 1986. In fact, he assisted Michael Eisner when he was Disney CEO to increase his fortune into billions of dollars. In 1986, Richard started his own firm, Rainwater Inc., and successfully acquired stakes in companies such as Columbia/HCA Healthcare, Ensco International, Pioneer Natural Resources, Mid Ocean Limited and Crescent Real Estate Equities. His success as an investor is legendary, prompting the New York Times to describe him this week as a "quiet mover of wealth and power" in the country.
Published in Star-Telegram from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, 2015
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