Richard \u201cDick\u201d Counter passed away on 31 October 2015 at home from complications of
\nmesothelioma. Born in Chicago, he graduated from New Mexico Military Institute and then\u00a0Maine Maritime Academy serving his class as Executive Officer of the Class of \u201962. He\u00a0achieved Chief Engineer Steam and Diesel at 27 years of age.<\/p>\n
After many years at sea, he moved to South Florida and purchased a large apartment complex\u00a0which had enough dock space to accommodate Ynez, his 110\u2019 Baltic Schooner with 3700 sq.ft.\u00a0of sail built in 1916.<\/p>\n
Richard was well known in the industrial marine community with many years with Tracor Marine,\u00a0General Offshore and many others worldwide. An extraordinarily innovative man, his specialist\u00a0resume spanned a bevy of titles, ship husbandry specialist, salvage master, military and private\u00a0undersea cable installations, built one of the first hydraulic cable plows of his own invention,\u00a0Millwright on many bascule bridges, rebuilt the gantry cranes in the port of Miami. In addition,\u00a0he was an accomplished economist, historian of the Civil and both World Wars. Lover of steam
\ntrains both large and small.<\/p>\n
He is survived by his wife, Jennifer, and daughters Anne Counter and Susan Rahyar and her\u00a0husband, Yama, grandsons Oskar and Remy, and sidekick Waddles. He was truly an officer\u00a0and a gentleman with a spirit of profound love for those close to him. He will always be with us.<\/p>\n
The family wishes to express their deepest appreciation to those who helped him in his journey\u00a0to the end, his lifelong friends from Sweden, Mats and Katarina Andersson, and Jimmy Barr\u00a0and Bob Chiarello of the Class of \u201962.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"