Richard P. Diedrichsen passed away on January 29, 2025, and Stratford’s Lordship community and residents fondly remember him as "Mr. Lordship" - a visionary leader, tireless and inspirational volunteer, Renaissance man of many interests, and smiling friend to all. 

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The Lordship Improvement Association (LIA), which Rich guided for many years, invited the community to share memories of their friend, and those stories follow from the LIA, Lordship Historian Tom Halverson, Christine Kochefko Higgins and family, and Christine Griffin ...

 

A Passion To Preserve And Beautify Lordship
By the Lordship Improvement Association Board of Governors

 

It would have been a rare day in Lordship if Richard Diedrichsen was not on the Bluffs - cutting back invasive plants, picking up trash, trimming shrubs, cleaning out birdhouses, checking on Christmas trees and snow fences used to deter beach erosion, planting daffodils, and, of course, enjoying the scenic beauty with passing neighbors.

 

Fittingly, in 1994, Robert Sammis transferred trusteeship of the Bluffs to the Lordship Improvement Association under Richard's leadership.

 

During Richard's tenure as President of LIA, he attained the status of a 501(c)3 charitable organization for conservation purposes. Under his leadership, LIA was reclassified as tax exempt to Stratford property taxes.

 

He spearheaded the design and development of Captain Kidd's Garden along with the walkway (handicapped accessible) to the beach at the end of Lordship Road. Benches and bike racks served to enhance the Lordship residents' enjoyment of the beauty of the Bluffs overlooking Long Island Sound.

 

During Richard’s presidency, the LIA created eight gardens throughout Lordship to add to the neighborhood's beauty.

 

And Richard launched an annual LIA brochure and fundraising appeal, which led to expanding the LIA to nearly 300 donors.

 

Richard enlisted many neighbors with his passion and encouragement to join in the preservation and beautification of Lordship – and it was not uncommon for him to be leading a group of volunteers on his many improvement projects.

 

The Lordship Improvement Association and the community of Lordship owe a debt of gratitude to our beloved visionary, leader, friend and neighbor. May his legacy be an inspiration for Lordship neighbors to exemplify Richard's kindness, neighborliness, and dedication to protect and preserve our beautiful land.

 

To his family and friends, the Lordship Improvement Association extends our heartfelt condolences. May his memories and honorable work leave this world a better place, and bring you comfort and solace.

 

‘We Will Not See The Likes Of Him Again’
By Tom Halverson, Lordship Historian

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I first met Rich in the mid 1960s when he was the playground counselor at Lordship School. In the late 1980s we would serve on the board of the Lordship Fathers Club together. When I rejoined the LFC in 2005, Rich asked me to help him with the history of the LFC. This led me to eventually starting the History of Lordship project. I sent Rich an email when I started the project and he responded, “Good luck with that.”  

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A few years later, I was back on the LFC board when Bob Sammis decided to retire from the Lordship Improvement Association and move to Pennsylvania. Bob asked the LFC to take over the LIA, but we decided to keep both organizations separate. Rich, Dennis Tomsheck, Kevin Kelly and I formed the new LIA board.

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After a couple of years, Rich retired from teaching and became president of the LIA. He made moving the LIA forward a full time job.

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It was his vision to form committees, get the property surveyed and hire a consultant to come up with a plan for the property.

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Rich had a vision of what Russian Beach should look like, and despite differing opinions from others, was successful in guiding the LIA into turning Russian Beach into what it is today.

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Kidd’s Bluff garden was Rich’s idea and he was able to convince the LIA board to convert the area into the garden. I spent a lot of time in 2011 and 2012 with Rich clearing the overgrowth on the property between the beach and the Bluffs to help get the project started.

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As Rich always said, “Why would anyone want to live anywhere else?” when talking about Lordship.

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We called Rich “Mr. Lordship,” and we will not see the likes of him again. 

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A Passion For Life – And So Many Things
By Christine Kochefko Higgins and Family

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My family first got to know Mr. Diedrichsen after he had read the obituary of my German grandfather in 2014. He had seen that our family lived in Lordship and reached out.

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Mr. Diedrichsen was so friendly and neighborly. He had such a passion for life as evidenced by his willingness to be part of so many different things and get to know his neighbors. 

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I will never forget when he came to the high school where I teach with his daughter, Lena, and their dance troop HSV Bavaria. He was a natural on our school stage, sharing stories at the microphone before the dance and music show. The students and staff had such a wonderful time watching their performance in 2017. 

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I also enjoyed bumping into Mr. Diedrichsen and Lena at the Steuben Parade in NYC a few years earlier. 

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A funny moment I will never forget was when my mom and I were pulling my then 3 year old son in a wagon on the way to Jazz on the Bluffs when we bumped into Mr. Diedrichsen and his wife, Julie. We were so enjoying the conversation with them, that we did not realize my son was simultaneously consuming most of the cheese pizza behind us in the wagon! 

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We will truly miss seeing his friendly, smiling face in the neighborhood.

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A Renaissance Man Dedicated To His Community
By Christine Griffin

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Richard was truly a Renaissance man dedicated to his community.

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My fondest memories include our Oktoberfest celebrations at Our Lady of Peace Hall, Oktoberfest at The Perry House, collecting daffodil bulbs that migrated below the Bluffs and replanting on the Bluffs, adding spent Christmas trees behind the snow fences, sharing gardening knowledge, warm greetings after Sunday mass, his strong commitment to the wildlife at the Bluffs - ensuring their survival by planting wildflowers, trimming native trees, cleaning existing birdhouses - and always engaging everyone he met with a smile.

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Richard P. Diedrichsen Obituary

You can learn much more about the life, career 

and community commitment of Richard Diedrichsen 

in this obituary at Legacy.com.

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Thank you, Rich!