Epilogue

Duck Hunting in 2019.   Photo Credit: Brett Kelly

Rich returned home with a chest cold shortly after he wrote his last blog post.   He had been feeling a bit under the weather during his trip to Bishop, and assumed it was the result of of long days four-wheeling around the valley enjoying the scenery and wildlife.

Rich’s condition quickly worsened, and he was soon fighting for his life.  He was intubated and flown to Stanford, where he was placed on even more intensive life-sustaining machines.  His illness was a mystery for a few weeks, until he was diagnosed with Valley Fever, likely contracted by breathing fungus-laden dust on his last hunting trip.

Rich fought valiantly for 6 months, but eventually Valley Fever claimed his life.  He died on May 5th, 2020 at home, surrounded by family who loved him.

A writer at heart, blogging about his adventures was one of the joys of Rich’s life.  He looked forward to the comments of his readers, and was frequently thinking about what he might share on the blog next.

We all miss him terribly, and can’t believe he is gone.

If you’d like to read his obituary, you can find it here.

Thank you for reading.  I know that’s what Rich would want to say to you if he could.

Written by Betsy Kelly, Rich’s daughter