Richard Clark Cilley
Personal
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: May 9, 1950
Date of Death: April 30, 2006
Death Place: Austin, TX
Richard Clark Cilley
Richard Clark Cilley, age 55, died suddenly on Sunday, April 30, 2006 in Austin. Rich was born in New York, New York on May 9, 1950 to Rt. Rev. Roger and Louise Cilley. He graduated from Ball High School in Galveston in 1968, attended the University of the South, in Sewanee, Tennessee, then transferred to the University of Texas at Austin, where he received a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in 1973. He also received a Masters of Arts in Classics from UT in 1986. For the past year, he was employed as senior historian with Ecological Comm. Corp. Prior to that, he was president of Transcendent Consultants, Inc., a marketing consulting firm. From 1983 to 1991, at the architectural firm, Page Southerland Page Inc, Richard is remembered for his translation, from English to Arabic, of drawings for the new King Abdul Aziz Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Leaving there, he became VP of Natl. Sales, for the Audi Investrigen Co, PSI Inc. During his tenure, he was promoted to SR VP Sales, which included responsibility for corp. mergers and acquisitions. The company grew to become America’s largest independent testing firm with 2,300 employees in 43 states. Also, he served as asst. to the corp. General Counsel. An Austin resident since 1970, Richard was a member and served on the parish council of St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Church. He also served on the ACC South Austin Campus Advisory Board. He was preceded in death by his father, The Rt. Rev. Roger Howard Cilley, in 1986. Survived by his wife of 33 years, Barbara Higgins Cilley; mother, Louise Bowne Cilley of Midland; sister Barbara Cilley Bledsoe, brother-in-law Billy Bledsoe, niece Meredith Bledsoe; and nephew Andy Bledsoe, all of Odessa; and many, many friends. Richard had a tremendous appetite for knowledge and was widely read. One of his friends said recently, “Before there was Google, there was Rich.” He was passionate about UT sports and the New York Yankees. He loved good food, good drink, and good conversation. He was a big man and his passing leaves a big hole in the hearts of those who loved him. Richard was eternally curious about the world and spent a lifetime seeking answers. He studied the Classics because he believed that classical civilization held the answers to many of the problems we struggle with in our current environment. His intellectual curiosity led him to learn many languages. He spoke French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, German, Arabic and other languages. He loved words and constantly corrected the mispronunciations of his wife much to her chagrin. One of Richards’ many talents and loves was cooking. Many of our friends and family will remember and cherish the times they came to our house for one of Richard’s meals. He spent hours pouring over cookbooks for just the right recipe, but always added his own touch to the dishes he prepared. Along with the many fine meals prepared for his friends and wife, he served a conversational menu that was with out parallel. Richard had a phenomenal memorial and was unbeatable at Trivial Pursuit. Conversations around the dining room table would range from discussions about World War II or the Renaissance to the economic implications of interest rate changes on the market. Our dinners were filled with laughter, wine, and sometimes song. One of the important pillars of Richard life was religion, not the easy kind of religion that comes with instant conversion, but the thoughtful sometimes-agonizing quest for the inner spiritual life that sustains and nurtures the best of the human spirit. He practiced his religion on a daily basis, loving the liturgy and worship of the Orthodox Church. Pallbearers include Sheriff Greg Hamilton, William Bledsoe, Louis Mecey, Fadi Diab , Sam Attal, Tom Eisenhour, Lee Watson, Allen Kaplan, Richard Esienhour, Jim Norman, George Oldviey, Ramzi Deeb, Albert Daggar, and John Hrncir. A Meal of Mercy will be served afterward due to the kind donations of Albert Daggar catering. Services will be held at St. Elias Orthodox Church 408 E. 11th, Wednesday, May 3 at 7:00 p.m. Graveside services will be held at 10:00 a.m, on Thursday, May 4th, at Assumption Cemetery 3650 So. IH-35. In Lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Austin Community College Foundation, 5930 Middle Fiskville Rd. 78752 for a scholarship to be established in his name or contributions to St. Elias.
Published in the Austin American-Statesman on May 3, 2006.
