Richard Lee Morales passed away on March 20, 2024, at the age of 76 at Seton Williamson Hospital in Round Rock, Texas, surrounded by his family. A Celebration of Life will be held at the family ranch in Liberty Hill, Texas, on March 30, 2024, at 11 a.m.
Born on December 23, 1947, in El Campo, Texas, to Rufus and Gertrude “Trudy” Morales, Richard was an athlete from an early age who excelled at football, basketball and tennis. It was on the tennis court, one hot summer day in Austin, Texas, that Richard met Mary Waldrop. Over the coming years, Richard grew especially close to Mary’s family and became a fixture on the family ranch. Richard and Mary were married on July 2, 1983, and he remained committed to Mary and the ranch for the rest of his life.
Richard was a student of science who started his own geology company to support his young family, and later developed his career in computer manufacturing at Austin-area companies. He was also an avid reader, ranging from great works of nonfiction to classic pulp fiction, who could always recount a quotation to fit any occasion.
Richard was a devoted father to two sons, in whom he instilled values of hard work and dedication. Mitchell, now 39, is a business owner and investor in Austin, Texas, who has traveled the world with his wife Tyler Govaars and now raises his two daughters, Forrest and Zephyr, who were the light of Richard’s life in recent years. Marshall, now 37, is a corporate attorney and weightlifting coach who resides in San Francisco, California, with his partner, Alexander Hilsabeck. Richard considered his boys, their families, and their successes to be the great accomplishment of his life.