Richard A. Wotiz ’81

Dick died suddenly May 30, 2012, from a heart attack while hiking with friends in Castle Rock State Park in Los Gatos, Calif.

A 1977 graduate of Milton Academy, Dick majored in electrical engineering at Princeton. While a freshman, he demonstrated the vulnerability of University computer files and was subsequently hired by Princeton’s computer lab to rewrite the software. After graduation, he used his computer expertise to develop new products.

In 1992, Dick moved from Massachusetts to California and started a successful software- and hardware-consulting firm. When he could not find what he needed, he invented it, winning multiple competitions for his inventions and holding four registered patents. Dick shared his curiosity and expertise with others by writing a regular column for a prominent electrical engineering magazine.

In recent years, Dick became a committed hiker, as his love of the outdoors became more important to him. He also turned to a new aspect of spirituality, becoming involved in a local drum circle. His ashes were scattered in a redwood grove in Felton, Calif.

Dick is survived by his mother, Miriam Wotiz; sister Sue Wotiz Goldstein; brother Robert Wotiz; a niece and nephews; and many friends who had become his California family.