Richard L. Colbert

Richard L. Colbert, 79, of Boise, died Thursday, November 3, 2022.  A memorial service will be held at St. Michael’s Episcopal Cathedral on Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 2:30 p.m.

Richard was born in Vallejo, California on January 29, 1943, to J. Franklin Colbert and Marian Esther Briggs who lovingly raised Richard and his three siblings in the Bay Area and later on a walnut ranch in Ripon, California. In 1961 he graduated from Ripon Union High School where he was a stand-out athlete in Track and Field and Basketball. Richard then attended California State University, Chico where he studied engineering with a focus in plastics. In 1964 he met the love of his life Kathy Brokaw, marrying her on November 27, 1965 in Napa, California. Together they resided in Napa, San Francisco, Paradise, and Sonoma County, California before finally moving to Boise, ID in 1979 where they raised their two children.

Richard worked at Hewlett Packard as an engineer for thirty years before retiring. Aside from being an incredible husband, father, brother and friend, Richard’s other passions included carpentry, camping, wildlife conservation and fly fishing on the trout streams of Idaho. He was a connoisseur of classic rock-and-roll and loved telling a good story over a shared bottomless bottle of wine. He also enjoyed competitive tennis and was a member and former President of the Boise Racquet and Swim Club.

Richard is survived by his loving wife of 57 years Kathy Colbert of Boise, Idaho; daughter, Aris Duncan, (grandchildren; Owen and Darby) of Boise, Idaho; son, Evan Colbert, (daughter in law, Mary Colbert and grandchildren, Abigail and Natalie) of Burke, Virginia; sister, Marilyn Headrick; brother, William Colbert (sister-in-law, Sharon Colbert); sister, Jeanne DeCosta; brother-in-law, Tom Brokaw; and nieces, Michelle DeCosta and Clare DeCosta-Funkhauser.

Richard is preceded in death by his parents and granddaughters, Emira and Edie Duncan. In lieu of flowers the Colbert family kindly requests that you consider a donation in his honor to the charity of your choice so as to help make this world just a little bit better for all of us.