Richard Davis Rivers succumbed to heart failure on November 26, 2013 just before Thanksgiving, 2 months after a heart attack led to open heart surgery with ensuing complications. He was 79.

Born in 1934 in New Haven, CT. to Reverend Burke and Phyllis McCausland Rivers, he attended Wyoming Seminary in Kingston and Haverford College, majoring in both Economics and English. At the University of Pennsylvania Law School he was an editor of the Law Review and Owen J. Roberts Scholar (cum laude, 1960). He met and married his wife Virginia in 1959.

Success as an associate at Dechert, Price & Rhoads led him to become General Counsel and Vice President at Campbell Soup International. He moved on to become General Counsel and Vice President at Berwind Corporation and Berwind Natural Resources Corporation, where he was also a member of the Board of Directors.

Professional memberships include the National Council of Coal Lessors, Secretary/Treasurer and Executive Committee; the National Mining/National Coal Association, alternate delegate and the Government Relations and Tax Committees; Eastern Mineral Law Foundation, and Philadelphia Bar Association. he was named "Distinguished Coal Lawyer of 1996" at the annual Coal Lawyers Conference of the National Mining Association. He was a Trustee at Pikeville College in Pikeville, KY and at Wyoming Seminary Preparatory School. He was a member of the Union League of Philadelphia, Merion Cricket Club, St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia, and Westmoreland Club in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

After retiring from Berwind, Dick and his wife moved to Ganoga Lake (adjoining Ricketts Glen State Park), where he pursued fly fishing, frequently in the company of dear friends, and rowed daily. He often traveled, fishing in Key West, North Carolina, Alaska and Cuttyhunk, MA. and visiting historic sites, museums, family and friends.

As president of the Ganoga Lake Association he orchestrated the acquisition of a substantial expansion of Association property. He was secretary of North Mountain Hunting and Fishing Club for some 20 years and served as advisor to its president, his friend John N. Conyngham, Jr. He was national chairman of annual giving with the Haverford College Alumni Association and was a director of Back Mountain Land Trust (now North Branch Land Trust). His activities declined as his hearing loss made it impossible to participate in discussions.

Dick's family includes his wife Virginia, his brother David, three children, Matthew, Jessica and Stephen, Jessica's husband Jeff Hardin, Stephen's wife Jamee Rivers, David's wife Elizabeth and five grandchildren, Amiri, Jacob, Isabella, Garen and Alexandra.

Dick will be remembered at a Memorial Celebration on Saturday January 18th at 12 Noon in the Music Room of Beaumont Retirement Community at Bryn Mawr, 601 N. Ithan Ave., Bryn Mawr, PA 19010.


In lieu of flowers, he may be honored with a donation to Episcopal Community Services at 225 S. 3rd St., Philadelphia, PA 19106 or to North Branch Land Trust, 11 Carverton Rd., Trucksville, PA 18708.