Richard B. Ainsworth, Jr.

Richard B. (Dick) Ainsworth, Jr., of Bratenahl, OH, an experienced private investor; active and committed Philanthropist; amateur “political junkie,” Republican Party activist, long-time friend of former Vice President Dick Cheney (Yale class of 1963); Fine Art collector; and active on many fronts in spite of a long battle with kidney disease, a severe blood clotting disorder, and four major brain surgeries.

Beloved husband of Joan (nee Horsburgh) for 55 years, loving father of Rick (Leslie) of Dublin, Ohio, and Alison Ainsworth of Seattle, WA, devoted grandfather of Meredith Claire and Lydia Grace Ainsworth of Dublin, Ohio, dear brother of John R. (Joanne) of Chatham, New Jersey, and Sally Anderson (Vince) of Chicago, Illinois; uncle to many nieces and nephews; son of the late Richard B. and Mary Ainsworth, two accomplished lawyers against whom Dick claimed he “never won an argument!”

A native of Shaker Heights, OH (as was Joan, his high school sweetheart), Dick was a 1960 graduate of University School, Yale University (BA) and the University of Michigan (MBA).   He was especially proud of having served three years aboard the USS OGDEN (LPD-5), an Amphibious Landing Platform Dock type of warship, as a combat-tested and decorated Navy officer and Vietnam Veteran, who suffered a 100% combat related-disability within the U.S. Veterans Administration.  His subsequent 48-year multi-faceted business career consisted of a series of executive positions at Reliance Electric, Acme Cleveland Corp., Kirtland Capital Corp., and several banks and various financial service and consulting firms.

Outside interests and activities in the Greater Cleveland Community include 15 years as a trustee (and former Board Chair) of the Conservancy for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP), a volunteer fundraiser and a member of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine’s Council for the Advancement of Academic Medicine, as well as having served as a member of the Cuyahoga County Republican Party’s Executive Finance Committee.  Dick also held a six-year Presidential appointment to the Federal Service Impasse Panel in the George W. Bush Administration.

Dick and his wife Joan were also patrons of and major donors to University School, Breakthrough Charter Schools, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals of Cleveland, The Cleveland Foundation, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, The Western Reserve Land Conservancy, The Cleveland Clinic, Blue Coats, Inc., Yale University, The University of Michigan, and Wells College.

In addition to the above, Dick was also a seven-year Stage 5 Kidney Dialysis patient, who had to spend 15 hours a week immobilized and strapped into a dialysis treatment chair in order to get his blood artificially purified.   And yet, he never complained or felt sorry for himself about this cruel disability.  Dick will always be remembered in Cleveland for his subtle, understated sense of humor and bad puns, modest demeanor, quietly upbeat and generally positive attitude, incredible determination and energy to see things through, and a general zest for life (as well as for U of M Wolverine Football).

Apart from University of Michigan football, Dick truly loved Cleveland sports, his residential real estate investing, active involvement in local philanthropy, studying and collecting Fine Art works, reading, volunteering, and luxury train travel.

The family prefers that those who wish may make contributions in his name to Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, 1403 W Hines Hill Rd, Peninsula, Ohio 44264. A Funeral Mass will be held Thursday, September 16th at 11am in Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, 19951 Lakeshore Blvd., Euclid, OH 44119.

Friends may view the Funeral Mass virtually by visiting this webpage on the date and time of the service, or by viewing a recording of the service thereafter.

There will be a private family interment at Lake View Cemetery.

FRIENDS MAY CALL AT BROWN-FORWARD, 17022 CHAGRIN BLVD., SHAKER HTS., OH 44120 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH FROM 5-7 PM.