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Richard "Dickie" LeMaire

Son of Eddie LeMaire

Richard (Dickie) Osborn LeMaire, 13, was born in Greenwich, Conn., and spent his childhood in Rye, N.Y. Except for his blond hair, he was a younger version of his father, with his round face and impish grin. As a young teenager, he terrorized his two younger sisters--Dorinda and Diana--playing tricks on them, but he was so much fun, his sisters loved him anyway. All three children attended the Rye Country Day School. LeMaire was an extremely bright 13-year-old who had had endured severe physical adversity. At age 9, doctors diagnosed a staph infection in his leg. He spent two months at United Hospital in Rye and eventually spent four months at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, where the doctors fought to prevent further bone disintegration. After recovering from the disease, LeMaire went to a summer camp in Colorado to strengthen his leg. There, he fell in love with the magnificent rocks, which began his obsession with geology. Although LeMaire excelled academically, school authorities suspended him in December 1960 because of boredom-induced mischief. This action put into play the plan for him to fly with his father to Prague, in addition to weeks of travel in other European countries.

Bio written by Patricia Shelley Bushman, author of Indelible Tracings