Richard Haddad, former W&J board member and business owner, was a Renaissance man
It would not have been out of line to call Richard “Dick” Haddad a Renaissance man.
He was a board member of Washington & Jefferson College, the proprietor of an oil and gas exploration company, a golfer, a banjo player and the author of a book that mused about the nature of pain and suffering.
“He was a philosopher,” according to his wife, Susan Haddad. “He loved reading. I never saw him reading a fiction book. It was always scientific.”
Haddad, 89, died Saturday, June 9, 2018, in his Upper St. Clair home. He was a lifelong student of religious thought, philosophy and science. His rich array of interests included astronomy, and he was instrumental in founding the Mingo Creek Park Observatory in Nottingham Township, which has allowed thousands of stargazers to explore the night sky away from city lights. In a life full of curiosity and accomplishments, the observatory was one of the things he was most proud of.
The observatory “really is an amazing thing,” said Betsy Haddad, a daughter of the man who will be remembered most for his strong devotion to family, his generosity and his tireless efforts for charitable and community causes.
Born in Shreveport, La., in 1929, Haddad attended a Jesuit high school and received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas, where he studied geology and geophysics. He served in the U.S. Army in Berlin in the 1950s and worked for Exxon for eight years. After arriving in Southwestern Pennsylvania, he founded Haddad & Brooks, an oil and gas exploration company he helmed until his retirement in 1999.
One of his post-retirement endeavors was writing the book “No Sign in the Sky.” Published in 2003, it grappled with the problem of “natural evil” – the suffering that human beings can endure because of natural events like disease, earthquakes or floods. Haddad’s interest in philosophy manifested itself in the Basic Issues Forum that he started at Washington & Jefferson College. The forum brought in noted philosophers and scholars to discuss ideas and concepts being explored in the field.
Haddad was also involved in various nonprofit endeavors, lending his time and energy to Canonsburg Hospital, Citizens Library in Washington and United Cerebral Palsy of Southwestern Pennsylvania.
“He just actually started most of his charitable efforts closer to retirement,” said Susan Haddad.
Along with his treasured wife, he is survived by four daughters whom they raised in Upper St. Clair: Julie (Mike) Young, Betsy (Isam) Haddad, Sarah (Tim) Hicks and Katie (Chris) Flynn. He was the cherished and active “bops” of Haley (Clark), Katie, Victoria (Jonathon), Will (Jen), Caitlyn (Mark), Claire, Olivia, Jennifer, Aden, Keaton, Tucker, Lola and Ronan; and cherished great-grandfather of Emory, Mason, Turner, Ben and Charlotte. He was the dear son of the late George and Rosalie Yazbeck Haddad.
Visitation will be from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday in Beinhauer Family Funeral Homes, 2828 Washington Road, McMurray. A celebration of life service is planned at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 14, in the courtyard of Westminster Presbyterian Church, Upper St. Clair. Inurnment will be private.
Memorial contributions should be directed to Amateur Astronomy Association of Pittsburgh, Attn: Mike Meteney, 1070 Sugar Run Road, Venetia, PA 15367. Contributions can also be made to Fortnightly Scholarship Fund.
Tributes may be viewed or added at www.beinhauer.com.