Honoring Dennis Richmond
A celebration of life was held for longtime former KTVU anchor Dennis Richmond on Tuesday. The Bay Area broadcast legend and anchor of the 10 oclock News died at the age of 81. Family, friends and those who worked alongside of him shared their memories and honored his legacy.
OAKLAND, Calif. – The KTVU Fox 2 family gathered on Tuesday to say a final farewell to a longtime anchor and Bay Area broadcast legend, Dennis Richmond.
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Why you should care:
The news icon died in February of this year, and now family, friends and those who worked alongside him are sharing their memories and honoring his legacy.
For most, Richmond was a larger-than-life figure, bringing the day’s headlines to generations of Bay Area families on the 10 O’Clock news. Now, his family and his work family have gathered to celebrate the man known for his no-nonsense news sensibilities on the screen, and tenderness behind the scenes.
His wife, Deborah, shared his softer side.
“He raised my three boys,” she said. “We were kind of like a Brady Bunch. We got custody of his daughter and we had four. He went from being a confirmed bachelor to having a wife and four kids, and he did it well,” she said.
‘All business’
Local perspective:
Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown said Richmond knew how to have fun, but when it came to his responsibility as a journalist, he was all business.
“When you knew that he knew more about the subject that he was asking about than you did, you did your best to get him to become the candidate and leave you as the reporter,” said Brown.
Mark Ibanez said Richmond had already established himself as a legend when the sports anchor joined him at the anchor desk.
“So it was a huge presence, and he later became not only a mentor to me, but a good friend and I always tell people Dennis was the big brother I never had,” Ibanez said.
High standards
Julie Haener worked side by side with Richmond delivering the news to the Bay Area for more than 10 years. She said Richmond’s attention to detail set a high bar that elevated those around him.
“We all have funny stories of Dennis as this big intimidating, strong, imposing newsman,” said Haener. “He was all about that. But, he also was so kind and he had a sense of humor, and he had this little playful laugh, and I’ll always remember that most about him.”
While Dennis Richmond may be gone, his high standards and legacy of striving for accuracy and serving the community echo on in the Bay Area and for those who knew him best.
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