David Richardson was a longtime member of the ALS community, working with the Center for X-Ray Optics and then a decades-long owl shift operator at the Advanced Light Source before retiring in 2021. He passed away in April 2026 and will be missed dearly.
- Read: Memorial Article for David Richardson
- Read: Memories of David Richardson By His Mom Connie
- Read: Memories of David Richardson By His Friend James Bork
We have collected memories from the community to share with each other and with David’s family. To share a message and/or photos on this page, please contact alscommunications@lbl.gov
Hanjing Huang (Software Developer, Equipment Protection System):
I was waitressing at a vegetarian restaurant when I first met David, who encouraged me to apply for a summer internship at the Lab.
That simple act of kindness changed the course of my life. What started as a summer internship became a 26-year career at the Lab. I will always be grateful for his encouragement, generosity, and willingness to help others.
Even after retirement, he continued his devotion to helping people and touched many lives through his volunteer work at a suicide prevention hotline. I am deeply saddened to learn of his passing and will always remember him with gratitude and admiration.
Nigel Kent Mesta Jr. (Electronics Engineering Associate, former Owl-shift EM Tech)
David Richardson was a wonderful coworker and an even better person. His calm demeanor and patient kindness made him a joy to be around. We would spend hours on owl shift discussing any and everything about the universe. I am sad that I won’t get a chance to have those conversations again. His laughter will be greatly missed. Rest in peace my friend.
Tennessee Gock (ALS Admin, retired)
The most kind and gentle soul I had ever met. I loved going to his office to play his Tibetan bowl. I will miss all his intriguing, spiritual, and enlightening shares via email and Facebook posts. But I know he is around, just in a different dimension. One day we will reunite. I send my best wishes to his loved ones.
Chit Hlaing (ALS Operator)
In the morning when we changed shifts I always found Dave to be cheerful, fresh and professional even though he was up all night. The start of day shifts were always a pleasure when he was there for the turnover. I never once saw him moody or tired. He was genuinely kind, a true gentleman everyday and a unique and wonderful individual who always had something interesting things to share. I will always keep him in my memories.
Susan James (System Engineer, retired)
My workday started in the Control Room at 5am and David was always on duty, and could articulate well any issues that happened overnight with the beam. He became a treasured, forever friend, more like a brother whom I could ask anything, anytime. If he couldn’t answer me in person, he would send an email.
A truly beautiful person full of inspiration for Life, and loved his insights and practical information which were all helpful.
Surrounding David with Rainbow Light as he takes his journey. I’m sure we’ll meet again.
Matt Abreu (Lead Floor Operator)
Dave’s passing has left a big hole in the hearts of those who knew him. He was genuinely gentle, kind, and caring. He sought to build up the people around him. Dave was clear headed about his values and ethics, and he advocated without fear for what he knew was right. Dave was irrepressibly optimistic and funny. He showed us how to move through the world with integrity and grace, and he will be missed for this and more.
Ken Goldberg (Photon Sciences Development Lead)
I worked closely with Dave in the early 2000s, which was a really exciting time at CXRO. We were testing a series of huge EUV lithography lenses that may have been the highest quality optics of any kind, ever made at that time. To measure them we had to drive complicated experimental systems to nanometer-scale positioning, over and over again. Dave wrote hardware interfaces that made so much of that work possible, and he was the best–enthusiastic, patient, insightful, clever, and one of a kind. He was ahead of his time, and there was no one I would rather have worked with.
Rick Donahue (Radiation Physicist, retired)
He was eternally and confoundingly always in a good mood. Even when I tried to be pessimistic and sarcastic – he would just laugh. He was a glass half full with a factor of two safety margin kind of guy.
Angelic Lucero (Operator)
Dave has been a dear friend to me for over 20 years. I consider myself blessed to have kept in communication with him regularly, including in-person visits up to a few times per year since his retirement. I imagine that I will be actively missing him for the rest of my life.
Mike Martin (Photon Sciences Operations Lead)
One brief memory I wanted to share is that I was lucky enough to be on a list of his friends who regularly received emails with a subject starting with [optional]. These emails discussed topics Dave found interesting, often related to science news or Berkeley-relevant news, where he provided background information and many well-researched links about the topic of the day. Some of the recent ones included Omar Yahgi’s Nobel Prize and his connections to the ALS, Claudia Sheinbaum’s election as Mexico’s president and her prior connections to Berkeley, mRNA vaccines, a mural about ESRF, AI, and much more. Always great to read his discussions on quite interesting topics and he was ever willing to receive replies and talk further. I think these emails was just one way that Dave demonstrated that he was always learning, always curious, and always optimistic about the progress the world continues to make.
Hiroshi Nishimura (ALS Accelerator Physics, retired)
To share a message and/or photos on this page, please contact alscommunications@lbl.gov