- Date Of Birth: January 23, 1938
- Date Of Death: January 3, 2022
- State: Michigan
Beloved by family, friends, and colleagues from around the world, Richard Almy passed away in January 2022, a few weeks shy of his 84th birthday.
Rich was born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1938, to Richard and Frances (Hale) Almy. He grew up in Front Royal, Virginia.
He loved the Oliver Cromwell quote, “No one rises so high as he who knows not whither he is going,” and in fact his career path was unplanned and circuitous.
Rich attended the University of Michigan, intending to pursue a degree in naval architecture, although he ended up earning a BFA in art history. Rich met his wife, Nancy Archbold, at Michigan, so, wanting to stay in-state, he took a job at the Detroit Board of Assessors (legend has it that an early job interviewer misheard his degree to be in finance, not fine arts).
After earning a master’s degree in urban planning from Wayne State University, Rich took a job as a research associate with the International Association of Assessing Officers in Hyde Park, Chicago. He, Nancy, and their two small children, Kit and Mac, moved to LaGrange Highlands, Illinois in 1969. In 1982, Rich became executive director of IAAO, a position he held until 1990, when he left the association to start a consulting partnership in property tax administration.
He advised governments, non-profits, and individual taxpayers over the next 30 years. He was published extensively in his field and was often called upon to provide expert testimony in court cases over property tax disputes. Rich’s work took him all over the world, primarily to many former Soviet republics and Balkan countries, as well as to such far-flung places as Trinidad, Rwanda, and Egypt. Through these travels, he was able to pursue his interests in exploring new places, meeting people, and enjoying food, wine, and conversation. He especially cherished his time in Armenia and Slovenia.
Rich loved spending time in the out-of-doors, especially at the family cottages in northern Michigan. When at home in Illinois, the family, including a series of black Labradors, walked every weekend in the Cook County Forest Preserves.
Rich’s hobbies and interests over the years included building model ships, sailing and kayaking on Lake Huron, and drawing and painting. He enjoyed listening to an eclectic array of music, appreciated good wine, and liked to discover interesting restaurants.
He had a dry, self-deprecating wit, for example, he liked to say he had advised a Nobel laureate because once Saul Bellow asked if he would recommend the barbecued beef at Jimmy’s in Hyde Park. He claimed to see himself as the center of the universe, though only geographically. He did love maps, and with a draftsman’s eye for detail, he drew meticulous maps and directions. This included keeping detailed records of the household affairs that he had always overseen, a skill that was highly appreciated when he lost the ability to take care of them himself.
