Richard E. Zellers

Richard Edwin Zellers, 94, passed away in Germantown, Maryland on June 1, 2020.

Richard, known as Dick, was born November 22, 1925, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the youngest child of Mary Bowers Zellers and Emlen H. Zellers, Sr.

Dick graduated with a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. His goal was to be a “Latin American Accountant” and that is indeed what he did.  After serving in the Merchant Marines during WWII and as an Army Officer in Iceland during the Korean War, Dick joined the accounting firm of Price Waterhouse in Bogotá, Colombia.

On November 11, 1957, he married Diane Fowkes, who joined him in Bogotá. After numerous moves within Colombia, where sons Mark and Toby, and daughter Sally were born, and two years in Lima, Peru, the family moved back to Long Beach, California, where daughter Laura was born. During this time, Dick began his long career in the seafood industry as controller for Van Camp Sea Food Division of Ralston Purina. This job took the family to Webster Groves, Missouri and a subsequent job as Treasurer and CFO with IBEC Foods brought them to Ridgefield, Connecticut where their son Stephen was born. While in Ridgefield, Dick worked in New York City as President of Neptune Packing/King Neptune Sales Corp. and spent some time as Chairman of the Tuna Research Foundation, the trade association for processors of canned tuna. Dick left Ridgefield in 1984 and after a short stay with Demerico, Inc. in Brownsville, Texas, Dick and Diane moved to Jacksonville, Florida in 1986, where he concluded his career with Beaver Street Fisheries.

Dick was passionate about the game of cribbage and enjoyed playing poker and bridge. While travelling with Diane, he would often “check out” nearby casinos – he simply loved the action and chattering at the craps tables. When not playing cards, he enjoyed spy/espionage movies and novels and in recent years even donned a “007” baseball cap. He enjoyed walking around his neighborhoods, including the beautiful walkways at Asbury Methodist Village, where he spent his last few years.

Dick will be dearly missed by his family. He is survived by his; son Mark Zellers and wife Judy of Mountain View, CA; son Toby Zellers and wife Barbara of Damascus, MD; daughter Sally Zellers and husband John Chaillé of Warrensburg, MO; daughter Laura Carter of Boone, NC; and son Stephen Algernon and wife Elise of Ben Lomond, CA. In addition, “Grandad” will be missed by grandchildren Douglas, Mary, Rowan, Karen, Morgan, Zanny, August, Nikki, Catherine, Elizabeth, Ellen, and Amalie.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Emlen H. Zellers, Jr., sister Mary Z. Darnall, and son-in-law Eban Carter.

Per Dick’s wishes, no memorial services are planned. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to American Heart Association in honor Diane Zellers, his wife of 57 years, or the Asbury Foundation.

Online condolences may be shared with the family through our website at www.molesworthwilliams.com

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