Richard Hough

Dr. Richard F. Hough was born on August 26, 1930 in Warren, PA to Ashbel Hough and Lorna Hough (nee Small). He grew up in Pennsylvania, spending summers with his parents and brothers in Kane Experimental Forest. He graduated from Lansdowne High School in 1948, and went on to Syracuse University in New York, where he earned a BA in English in 1952. He served in the U.S. Army Security Agency from 1952 to 1955, where he was stationed overseas in both Korea and Japan. The experience changed his life as he fell completely in love with Japan and decided to pursue postgraduate studies in geography. After his return to the United States, he re-entered Syracuse University as a graduate student. While working toward his Master’s degree there, he met and married Elizabeth C. Burns, a fellow student. After their wedding in 1957, the couple moved to Madison, WI to continue their studies, and it was at UW that Richard earned a Ph.D. in 1960. He worked as a professor of cultural geography for over 30 years at San Francisco State University, starting in 1961, following a year in Japan. In 1967, he and Elizabeth welcomed their daughter Ann.

In 1987 he married his second wife, Valencia (nee Baca). After his retirement, he moved back to Wisconsin with her and their two children, Ellen (b. 1991) and Richard (b. 1993). They resided there for approximately two decades.

Richard’s Christian faith was deeply important to him throughout his life. He was baptized in the Methodist Church in 1931 and finished his life as a beloved member of 14 years of St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Windsor, CO. In addition to religion, his interests included sports, music, theater, reading non-fiction (primarily history, biographies, and Bible commentaries), and writing. He was the self-published author of many books, both his own memoirs and several biographies of his parents. He travelled extensively throughout his life, and had a hobby of “collecting” counties. He managed to visit the majority of U.S. counties by the time he died, and his children have many memories (mostly good) of road trips through rural America. He had a great sense of humor, though some of his puns, like his cooking, made sense only to himself.

He moved to Windsor CO in 2012.

Richard died on September 8, 2026, surrounded by family. He was preceded in death by his parents Ashbel and Lorna, brothers Walter and Stephen, and son-in-law Michael. He is survived by his brother Thomas (Gail); children Ann, Ellen, and Richard; grandchildren Justin (Alixandra), Joshua (Sarah), Jodie (Strong), Jacqueline, Samantha, and Lucy; and many, many friends, both old and new. He will be deeply missed by all his loved ones.

Services will be held at St. Alban's Episcopal Church on Saturday, October 3 at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to any of the following charities, which were dear to Richard's heart:

World Wildlife Fund 

Orphan Grain Train

NOVO

International Crane Foundation