Richard English was Lynwood councilman

DOWNEY -- Richard M. English, a longtime Downey resident, died Feb. 23 in Rancho Mirage. He was 80.He was born in Buffalo, N.Y. in 1928, the first born to Matthew and Marion English. His father, Matt, owned a gas station in South Buffalo for 26 years. In 1950, Richard and his father opened Matt English Restaurant and Bar. They sold the restaurant in 1954. Richard attended Public School No. 72 and South Park High School, where he excelled in football and track. As a freshman, Richard was tagged with the nickname "Bulldog," which stuck with him for his lifetime. After graduating from high school in 1946, he enlisted in the Army. He spent 1947 as part of the occupation of Japan. He then attended the University of Buffalo and its law school under the G.I. Bill. During college and law school, he worked for six summers as a Hall's Bakery salesman. In 1952, Richard married Nan Kinney of South Buffalo. After law school graduation in 1953, he started a law practice. However, in late 1954, they moved to Southern California and settled in Lynwood, where Richard practiced law and became a city council member in 1958. A few months later, he chaired Pat Brown's campaign for governor of California. In 1960, Richard worked full time in John F. Kennedy's campaign for president. In 1964, Richard ran for Congress as a democrat, but lost by 148 votes. He was a delegate on the Robert F. Kennedy for president slate in 1968 at Chicago's Democratic Convention. In 1967, Richard became the first president of the statewide Democratic Volunteers of California, Inc. His wife of 47 years, Nan, died in 1999. They had two children, Mary and Rick, and both are practicing attorneys in Southern California. They had four grandchildren. In 1979, Richard moved to Palm Desert and established a second law practice there. In 2002, he purchased a condo in Palm Desert where he and Joyce Nease Crawford lived until his death. Richard was a member of the New York State Bar Association; State Bar of California; Blacksthorn Club of South Buffalo; life member of American Legion Post No. 1477, Lackawanna, New York; life member of Foreign Wars, Post NO. 2940, West Seneca, New York; Jacob D. Hyman Society of the U.B. Law School; and board member of the Desert Foundation for Democracy. A memorial service will be held tomorrow at 10 a.m. at Forest Lawn Chapel, 69855 E. Ramon Rd., in Cathedral City, followed by a celebration of life at the Marriott Desert Springs in Palm Desert. In lieu of flowers, the family requested a contribution in Richard's name to the Sisters of Mercy, 625 Abbot Rd., Buffalo, N.Y., 14220. ********** Published: February 27, 2009 - Volume 7 - Issue 45