Richard was born in Oakland, California February 28, 1924 to Stephen Hennessy and Marian Benson and he was very proud to be a native Californian. He lived in San Francisco and then San Carlos where he attended Sequoia High School. He served for the U.S. Navy in the Pacific theater during WWII. Upon returning from service, he enrolled at Santa Clara University graduating in 1949 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce. At the age of 26, he proudly established his own business, Diesel Supply Co., sales of marine diesel parts and equipment. The business later became Hennent Corporation which he managed until 2011.  Richard married Helen Potter in 1950 and they raised four children in Hillsborough. They enjoyed hiking and skiing on their many outings to Yosemite, where he visited ever since he was a child. Helen passed away in 2001. He later married Beatriz Almario who brought him much happiness introducing him to another culture and they enjoyed many adventures together, sharing a passion for travelling.  A devout Catholic, he served in different capacities at St. Bartholomew and St. Catherine of Siena Churches. He was a very positive person, generous and loyal. He loved to tell stories and had a great sense of humor. Proud of his Irish descent, he took joy in distributing Irish potatoes to family and friends on St. Patrick’s Day. He was quite a good athlete; he enjoyed swimming and playing tennis with his friends in Millbrae and at the Peninsula Golf and Country Club where he was a member for many years.