Richard “Dick” Dufford, 78, of Dallas died at the V.A. Hospital in Dallas on Nov. 10 following several months of declining health.
Dufford was born in Connecticut and had lived in the Dallas area for 15 years. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University and a master’s degree from Yale University, both in international relations. He also studied at both Columbia University and the Universidad Nacional de Mexico.
Dufford spoke several languages had had retired from a successful career in real estate, specializing in international business construction. He had lived all over the world, including Iran, Bolivia and Saudi Arabia. After moving to Dallas, he had focused on marketing new residential developments for a variety of local real estate companies including, most recently, Harvey McLean and Associates.
Dufford’s focus over the last several years of his life had been on volunteer work, and he had volunteered his time to a number of organizations, including Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital in Dallas and the AIDS Resource Center. He also taught English as a second language in the Dallas Independent School District.
Dufford’s hobbies included gardening and landscaping, classical music and reading. He was also deeply enamored of Mexico, especially the old colonial town of San Miguel de Allende in the central highlands north of Mexico City.
He traveled there many times over the years, often taking friends with him.
He had planned to move to San Miguel to live out his life, but was prevented from doing so by his declining health.
He will be fondly remembered by his friends as a deeply curious and intelligent person, who always offered a welcome perspective on the issues addressed in their lively morning political debates they had for years at the Crossroads Market. He was known as a man who dressed well and had a courtly, gentle manner. Although he was older than many of his friends, he was able to develop meaningful relationships with all kinds of people, easily bridging any generation gap, his friends said.
Dufford is survived by his brothers, John Dufford, Harold Dufford and William Dufford.
A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday in the main conference room of Scottish Rite Hospital, located on Maple Avenue at Oak Lawn Avenue in Dallas. He had arranged to be cremated and have his ashes spread over the fields of the Dufford family farm in Glastonbury, Conn.
Memorial contributions can be made to Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, November 17, 2006.