Richard Wallach

Richard Allan Wallach, age 84, of Ashland, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully at his home on Monday, July 13, 2026. Born on March 15, 1942, in Washington, D.C., to Sylvan and Hermine Wallach, who preceded him in death. Richard was well known for his adventuring spirit, witty mind, and genuine love of people.

Richard grew up for the most part on Long Island, NY, where he loved riding horses. He left high school early to go straight to Cornell where he graduated with a business degree, and then spent most of the rest of life in Dayton, Ohio and Taos, New Mexico, prior to moving to Ashland, Wisconsin along with three years in the State of Israel. His ultimate desire was to return to Israel.

Throughout his life, Richard was the perpetual entrepreneur adventuring into the concrete business, farming, computer programming, photography and film developing, stock trading, and others. He also converted some of his passions and “hobbies” into jobs, becoming a professional photographer, professional ski patroller (including being inducted into the National Ski Patrol, Patroller ID #6101, in 1983) and ski instructor, a firefighter, and many more.

Richard is survived by his wife of 62 years Barri (Markey), their children (and their children’s spouses) Jordana Wood, Jason (Sabrina) Wallach, Ryan Wallach, Mila (Roger) Halvorson, Gavin (Abby) Wallach, Maxon (Lindsay) Wallach, and Brianna (Kyle) Horton Rafert, 23 grandchildren, their great-granddaughter Emersyn, his mother Judith Wallach, his brothers and sister (and their spouses) Michael (Connie) Wallach, Andrew (Cynthia) Wallach, Linda (Daniel) Schroeder, and Diane (Will) Wallach, and numerous nieces and nephews and cousins.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, July 17, 2026, at Robert’s Funeral Home with a graveside internment at B’nai Israel Cemetery in Ashland. Friends and community are invited to visit with the family while they sit shiva at the home of Mila Halvorson, 2120 2nd Ave E, Ashland, WI, from 1:00-7:00 pm on Friday, July 17th.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to Temple Israel of Duluth, MN, B’nai Israel Cemetery in Ashland, WI, or the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary of Bayfield, WI.

On behalf of DeVargas Funeral Home of Taos, we thank the family of Richard Wallach for allowing us to place his tribute on our website for viewing for his friends in Taos.