Photo: North Coast Journal.

Dr. Richard (Dick) Stepp
May 11, 1945 - September 26, 2025

It is with heavy hearts that we share the loss of our beloved friend, Dr. Richard (Dick) Stepp, Professor Emeritus of Physics and Astronomy at Cal Poly Humboldt.  Dick collapsed on the Cal Poly campus on September 26, 2025 as he was walking to attend his Feldenkrais body movement class. He was 80 years old.  

Richard Daniel Stepp was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 11, 1945 to Eleanor Franklin and Robert Stepp.  He was the second of three sons. His father became a lawyer, and his mother took charge of raising the three boys. The family lived in the Shaker Heights suburb and spent their summers in a cabin at Lake Erie. At the young age of 8, Dick lost one of his kidneys, and during his youth spent many months in hospitals. Confronted with the prognosis of a shortened lifetime expectancy, Dick committed himself to his health and to living in the moment. He believed that the loss of his kidney stunted his growth, but led him to living life with zest.  Dick had a lifelong love and desire to help others, either as a teacher, mentor, training partner, or noted woodsman.  He has had several near-death experiences, but had always been too stubborn to give into the shadow of death.  Dick led an unbelievable life of achievement and adventure.    

Some of his athletic achievements include being a fierce competitor in wrestling, cross country, and track and field. Dick excelled in these athletic endeavors and maintained a passion for them right up to the end.  Even in his 70s, he still set an example for Humboldt college students in the weight room. One student even created a documentary of legendary Dr. Stepp titled, “Heart of a Vaulter.”

Dick was a Masters athlete, who, at age 77, competed in his last track and field competition throwing javelin.  He also did pole vault, and threw hammer, shot put, and discus. In high school, Dick cleared near 14 feet, pole vaulting, using stiff steel poles, no less. His post collegiate vaulting on fiberglass poles was barely a foot from his high school mark which was a phenomenal achievement as a masters athlete, particularly in light of his petite stature. On occasion he would also coach pole vault at local high schools.  One prime highlight for Dick was accompanying his lifelong friend, five-time US Olympic qualifier and three time olympian javelin thrower, Karin Smith, to various national meets and the Olympic trials.  

Dick was equally proud to have competed in high school wrestling, achieving high honors in his weight class.  He also competed on his Ohio college wrestling team at Baldwin Wallace College, earning all-conference honors, while earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Physics.  After achieving his BS, Dick set off to Penn State University where he skipped his Master of Science degree to earn his PhD in Meteorology and Atmospheric Processes, or “Climatology,” as he liked to call it.  Dick often told the story of how his youthful arrogance led him to forgo the troubles and distractions of working in a team, for his thesis. Instead, he moved to Munich, Germany for a few months to do his research independently. Caught up in stress from completing his thesis work alone, Dick sought to clear his head with a little jaunt in the German Alps where he almost plummeted to his death.  When back at Penn State, he fell in love with, and married Sandra Healy, whom he met when they were in the Rock Climbing and Mountaineering Club.  In 1973, Dick and Sandra moved to Humboldt County where Dick accepted a faculty position at Humboldt State University.  Years after his divorce with Sandra, Richard married Mary Jo Koen and helped raise her son and mentored her daughters.  Dick did not father any children of his own, but has been an adopted father, brother, uncle and grandfather to many in the Humboldt community. 

In 1983, Dick published his book, “Making Theories to Explain the Weather.”  His lifelong fascination with climate and weather patterns led to his fierce skepticism of the models used to predict climate change, which would sometimes lead to colorful conversations with some modern theories held by others. He felt the models were manipulated to produce desired outcomes, a practice he considered unscientific. He would study radar patterns and barometric readings and always predicted, with uncanny accuracy, the weather, several days in advance. Dick’s predictions often proved to be of greater accuracy than the forecasts by news weathermen. 

Dick remained a faculty member at HSU, teaching there for 40 years before his retirement in 2012. For 15 of those years, he was chair of the Physics Department. Dr. Stepp’s scholarly interests were diverse, but the thing that remained constant was his passion for teaching. He taught in unusual, nontraditional, yet relatable ways. He was known for making his topics memorable and understandable:  

As a professor, Dick used creative teaching methods and props, and often surprised his audience with his sudden leaps onto his desk to make a point, or by tossing a large ball (which he had pretended to barely be able to carry into the room) to one of the students.  He felt that he was part teacher and part actor/entertainer! His methods were unusual but brought both his sleepy students and his lectures to life!  Dick was known in the county for his baskets and canvas bags full of endless props. He would invite classes to the lawn, spread a cloth, and pile objects such as salt and pepper shakers, mustard and ketchup bottles, centerpieces, cups and saucers. He would then proceed to identify each object as a weather-related term, like a “cold front, “ or “high pressure system” hopping around (literally) demonstrating how these weather systems interacted with one another. 

Dick was committed to using the scientific approach of gathering data, analyzing it and using deduction and reasoning before drawing conclusions. Without any prejudice he kept an open mind to all probabilities and wonders. One of his most well known philanthropic ventures was in the realm of what he fondly called “crackpot science” in the form of finding the truth behind Bigfoot.  Dick enjoyed some of his most curious and exciting days while on Bigfoot expeditions in Colorado and in Washington with his two dear friends, biologists and primate researchers John Mionczynski and the late Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum.  He subsequently became involved in helping fund John Mionczynski’s Bighorn Sheep studies and twice spent weeks with John at his research site on Middle Mountain in Wyoming. Dick took special interest in Dr. Jeff Mildrum’s evolution and primatology research and teachings at Idaho State University, and funded a trip to study the Caucus Mountain Wildman in Russia, and helped facilitate the studies of Homo Floresiensis in Indonesia.  Dick was so inspired by John’s and Jeff’s dedication to preserving the stories, histories, and cultural traditions of indigenous people and early settlers in the American West, that he joined their efforts as a foundational supporter of the Native Memory Project.  Within this project, Dick was highly devoted to the archiving and recording of the stories of the Crow Nation and its people, told by Grant Bulltail, a descendant of many Crow Chiefs. Dick was introduced to Reba Jo Teran, a member of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe who has dedicated her life to protecting and perpetuating the native tongue of the Shoshone language for future generations.  With barely 100 Shoshone elders fluent in their native language at that time Dick recognized the urgency and the opportunity.  He took great pleasure in being a booster to Reba’s efforts of compiling words in both written and audio form for the creation of a Shoshone dictionary.  

Although Dick’s expertise was officially in physics, his real passion was politics. He looked forward to verbal jousts with anyone who would take him up on a debate regarding just about any worldly political opinion or fact. Whether it was science, global current events, sport coaching, or the proper way to approach splitting firewood, Dick always sought to gain a greater understanding, contributing philosophical ideas to every conversation, and sharing his profound insights. Dick was in fact, a social animal, who quite enjoyed interactions with people of all ages. He gleaned energy from young people, sharing his expertise, and in turn, became infused by the excitement of young learners being exhilarated by their successes through his help. 

Dick Stepp was a very generous man with a big heart. He encouraged and sponsored many individuals, organizations, clubs, and sports teams through his philanthropic endeavors. He frequently volunteered his time and physical labor to help out a worthy cause. For many years on each Saturday Dick volunteered at 4-H T.R.A.I.L., a therapeutic equestrian program for individuals with special needs that was founded and run by Dick’s friend and former colleague Dr. Doug Jager, Emeritus Professor of Forestry at HSU. Dick appreciated that in this program each participant regardless of their age, interests or abilities had responsibilities and was an important member of the team.  Although Dick mainly contributed by fixing fences, maintaining equipment and armed with his chainsaw clearing fallen trees off the riding trails, he did develop a strong interest in learning about horse behavior and understanding human and horse interaction. There are so many citizens of the North Coast who worked beside Dick or had him as a teacher and mentor during his 40 years at HSU.  Every time he would walk through town, shop at the local health food stores, or just fill up his truck at the gas station, a familiar “Hi Dick!” or “Hey Dr. Stepp!” could be heard. 

Throughout his adventurous life, Dick developed an abundance of close relationships. Those who were blessed to know him might use several words to describe him, including:  mentor, coach, sponsor, trainer, influencer, competitor, confidant, survivor, counselor, political analyst, philosopher, meteorologist , climatologist, philanthropist, wrestler, pole vaulter, super hero, benefactor, investor, wood splitter, wood stove enthusiast, Bigfoot expert, economist, historian, and maybe a favorite of his would be the “crackpot science buster.”

Dick was well known for finding creative solutions to any problem.  He emphasized the importance of people serving a purpose in life no matter how young or old, or how poor or wealthy one is.  He believed in the power of keeping a sunny attitude.  At all times Dick had such a strong positive outlook on life that he believed to be charmed with a fortune of good luck. Dick’s life reflected genuine kindness, acceptance, goodwill, honesty, integrity, hopefulness, charity, true friendship, determination and most of all, love.  He reflected love in the truest sense: patient, kind, not jealous, not boastful, not proud, rude or selfish, not easily angered and not keeping any record of wrongs.  He didn’t gloat at others’ wrongdoings and delighted in the truth (especially when it involved proving crackpot science is maybe not so far-fetched). He was always hopeful, trusting, and endured whatever came his way.  He was a man who endeavored to make the world a better place whenever he could.  If you’ve ever seen the movie “Big Fish,” Dick was the same larger than life character portrayed in that movie.  He is greatly missed.

A celebration of Richard’s life will be held at a later date.

If you would like to continue the legacy of Dr. Stepp please consider supporting any of the following organizations close to his heart:

At Cal Poly Humboldt Foundation:

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The obituary above was submitted by Dick Stepp’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.