Richard Stuart Oettinger

Richard Oettinger was a longtime attorney in the State of Washington and in the city of Seattle.
Richard was born in Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, New Jersey. The firstborn child to James Stuart Oettinger and Marie Cecilia Centi (ne´e). The family moved to Demerest, New Jersey where Richard and his sister Pamela were raised. The Children's mother died when Richard was 18 months old and Pamela was four months. The children were raised by their father with assistance from his loving parents.
Richard attended St. Mary's Elementary School and St. Celia's High School. He was in charge of the yearbook his last years of high school. An ardent student with a love for academics, nature, people and photography, Richard took many of the photos and managed layout and text.
Richard attended St. Michael's College in Winooski Park, Vermont. He was student proctor during his sophomore and junior years, then was senior advisor. He was active in the Baird Center Project. He was student coordinator his last year in college. The project worked with emotionally disturbed children. He was a member of the Politics Club. Richard is listed in "Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges" 1967-68.
Richard went on to Boston College to study law, graduating with honors.
In the Fall of 1971, with his wife Carla Christensen (ne´e), Richard moved to Seattle after passing the Washington State Bar Exam. He was one of the first attorneys in the State to receive a bar number.
In 1972 Richard found employment at the City Attorney's Office as a Prosecutor.
Well-liked by his coworkers, and known for his droll, wry sense of humor, Richard remained with the office under City Attorney, John Harris until 1978, when he decided to go into private practice and joined the firm of Dan Reaugh and Loren Prescott, eventually becoming partner and carrying on the spirit of the firm after Dan Reaugh's retirement.
In the early 1970's, Richard, with his wife, Carla adopted two daughters from Korea, followed by their biological daughter Brooke, at the end of the decade. They also fostered several orphans through the years. The couple separated in the late 1980's.

The family was stricken by tragedy in 1996 when Richard and Carla's middle-daughter, Christina died unexpectedly in her father's home at the age of twenty.
Richard remarried in 2015 to Deborah Dean (ne´e), originally from La Jolla, California.
Richard remained in private practice for over forty years. The last 30 years were spent working with his law partner, Sylvia Luppert, creating the firm Reaugh Oettinger & Luppert, P.S. The last ten years of his practice, Deborah joined the firm as paralegal. Richard continued to practice law until the day he died.

Richard died suddenly in their home in the early morning hours, with his loving wife Deborah by his side.

Richard Stuart Oettinger is survived by his sister Pamela Boyd (Robert); four nieces and many grandnieces and grandnephews; his former wife Carla; his daughter Laurie Eckardt (Alex), granddaughter Caroline; his daughter Brooke Oettinger (Jonathan Pugliese), grandsons Faelan and Auryn; Stepdaughter Elysia Andrews (Ian Hill); Stepson Alden Andrews and grandchildren Azure, Sylas and Zayden; his wife Deborah.
Due to COVID 19, memorial services are tentatively scheduled for Spring-Summer, 2021, announcements to be forthcoming.

Please share memories of Richard, photos & condolences with his family on the tribute wall, located above.