Richard Belding ’69

Rick died Jan. 16, 2026, at home in Tucson, Ariz. His death from mesothelioma came just weeks shy of his 78th birthday.  

Rick attended high school in Bridgewater, N.J., where he played football and baseball. At Princeton, he quarterbacked 150-pound football and ate at Tiger Inn. Rick was a basic engineering major and often expressed his appreciation for faculty members who were both scholars at the cutting edge of their disciplines and superb teachers. 

An educator whose career spanned decades and geographies, Rick described his career in our 50th-reunion yearbook: “I have been paid as an employee or consultant by 23 entities. I have been CEO of five nonprofit organizations including head of two schools, president of a large independent school accrediting association, executive director for a teacher placement and search firm working with independent schools, and co-founder and president of an organization that sponsored an Advertising Council campaign to enhance the teaching profession and recruit new teachers.”  

Rick had many interests. At Princeton he was known for his love of automobiles, and over his lifetime he owned 32 cars. His pride and joy was a Citroën 2CV. Rick was a devoted runner, covering more than 45,000 miles. He and his wife, Lucy, enjoyed traveling the globe and especially loved their time together at their cottage in Spruce Head, Maine. 

Rick is survived by his wife, Lucy; two stepdaughters; one brother; and two sisters. The class offers its sincere condolences to them all.