Richard Lee DeWitt

Richard Lee DeWitt passed away peacefully in Newport Beach on May 22, 2012, at the age of 71 following a five month battle with cancer; he was surrounded by his family and friends.
Richard was born May 10, 1941 in Glendale California to Margaret and Woodrow DeWitt. He grew up in the Los Angeles area and graduated from Eagle Rock High School and attended Pasadena City College. Working alongside his mother and father at DeWitt Transfer and Storage Company in Los Angeles, Richard gained first hand knowledge about the transportation industry. Over the course of his 50+ years in the industry, Richard founded and owned many entities including: Approved Forwarders, Approved Forwarders of Guam, Approved Freight Forwarders, Royal Hawaiian Movers, DeWitt Moving and Storage Guam, DeWitt Companies, and Royal Alaskan Movers. He was both loved and respected by his many colleagues and employees.
Richard was not only a force in the transportation industry, he was a philanthropic person. Just a few community organizations he supported include: the 11-99 foundation, American Cancer Society, Hawaii Food Bank, Alan F. Wohlstetter Scholarship Fund, Make a Wish Foundation, and the Salvation Army. His generosity and commanding presence will be dearly missed.
Richard was the patriarch of his combined family. He raised 7 children together with his wife Barbara, and after they divorced, remarried his second wife Annalee. Together, Richard and Annalee spent his last years traveling the world and enjoying his grandchildren.
Richard is survived by his wife Annalee, children John, Nannette, Suzanne, Jeannette, Michael, Jacqueline, his sister Mardel, a niece Kerry, a nephew Kevin, 9 grandsons, 2 granddaughters, and his dog Taffy. Richard was preceded in his death by his father Woodrow “Woody”, his Mother Margaret, and his daughter Jennifer.
A memorial service will be held at 10:00 A.M., Saturday, June 9, 2012, at Mariners Church 5001 Newport Coast Dr, Irvine, CA, 92603