In Loving Memory of Richard Anthony Santoni

Richard Anthony Santoni

Richard Anthony Santoni was born in New York on June 2, 1942, to Pacifico and Carmela Santoni. He joined his older siblings, Frank, Robert, and Lena. At the age of five, his family moved to Los Angeles, where Richard would build a life centered around faith, family, service, and his lifelong love of the water.

Richard attended the University of Southern California, where he earned his Bachelor of Science, Master’s, and PhD degrees. It was at USC, in 1963, that he met Mary at the Newman Center. They married in 1965 and shared 61 wonderful years together. Their enduring love and devotion to one another were an inspiration to all who knew them.

From an early age, Richard was fascinated by the water. As a boy, he built fishing poles and wooden boats from his father’s scrap lumber and dreamed of being out on the sea. Family vacations to Balboa Island deepened his love of boats and Newport Harbor. His father eventually built him a small plywood boat, and although they both knew it was not quite seaworthy, it sparked a passion that lasted a lifetime.

Prima Donna became Richard’s pride and joy. He loved taking family and friends around Newport Harbor and to Catalina. Those days on the water were among his happiest, and he continued visiting the beach almost daily throughout his life.

Richard dedicated his professional life to helping others. While a student, he and two professors established the first Suicide Prevention Hotline, which he helped operate on weekends from his and Mary’s home. Throughout his career as a Marriage and Family Counselor, advocating for the homeless, hospital administrator, and business owner, he remained committed to serving others. In 1973, he became the first doctor to join the Los Angeles Police Reserve Corps, serving for five years.

Faith was another important part of Richard’s life. Inspired by his mother, who always carried a Rosary, Richard lived his faith through service, generosity, and compassion for others.

Above all, Richard treasured his family. He loved every gathering, every tradition, and every moment spent together. To his grandchildren, he was “Papa”—a playful trickster, storyteller, and enthusiastic partner in games of Blackjack, “Drop Your Pants,” and Liar’s Poker. He adored his nephews and niece, and he especially cherished the family’s Thursday night “Grandma Nights,” when everyone gathered for dinner at his parents’ home.

Richard’s greatest legacy is the love he gave his family. His kindness, humor, faith, generosity, and devotion will live on through the generations he leaves behind.

Richard is survived by his beloved wife, Mary; their children, Joannie (Robert), Mark (Tami), and Paul (Marci); his eight grandsons, Robert (Torin), Ryan (Candice), Patrick, Timmy (Audrey), Micah, Dylan, Shane, and Tyler; and his three great-grandchildren, Declan, Miller, and Murphy.

He will be remembered for his generous heart, his wonderful sense of humor, his deep faith, his love of the ocean, and, most of all, his unwavering love for his family.

“His love was his legacy, and his family was his greatest joy.”

Services

Funeral services will be held on Monday, October 5, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Mission Basilica in San Juan Capistrano.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Richard’s memory to Serra’s Pantry at Mission Basilica.

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