Richard Theodore Marino's Obituary
Richard Theodore (Dick) Marino passed away peacefully during the night on February 16, 2026. He is survived by his sister, Nina Fatta; sons Rick and Chris Marino; daughters Marcie and Elena Marino; and eight grandchildren.
Richard was born on November 27, 1934, in Brooklyn, NY, during the Great Depression. He was raised by his loving parents, Ted and Anne Marino. He grew up in a humble, hardworking Italian household with strong family values. His father, Ted, worked as an engraver, and his mother, Anne, was a legal stenographer.
Richard graduated from St. John’s University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics in 1956. He spent his college summers working as a beach lifeguard at Breeze Point, NY.
He enrolled in the Officer Candidate School (OCS) program for the Marines, earned a First Lieutenant commission, and served two years in the Marine Corps as an artillery officer. It was during this time that he met his beloved wife of 65 years, Elaine Hughes, at Camp Lejeune, NC. They were married in 1958.
Richard began working for IBM that same year in Marketing and Sales. During his IBM tenure, he worked for Satellite Business Systems (SBS, a subsidiary later bought by MCI) for 8 years, where they launched 4 telecom satellites--One with the Space Shuttle. He worked his way up to Director of Marketing and was respected and loved by his peers and co-workers. One of his hobbies while at IBM was racquetball, where he won the Watson Trophy Championship. He also enjoyed sitting and reading on the beach, where he owned a condominium in Sea Colony, Bethany Beach, DE, for 24 years.
He left IBM after 36 years and freelanced as a financial adviser and executive job placement representative. After spending five years in Marketing at Lockheed Martin, Richard retired in 1999. He was very active in the Police Citizens League in Montgomery County, Maryland, and Cary, NC, and was presented with the Volunteer Service Award in 1998.
He moved to Cary, NC, in 2000 to be close to his children and eventually settled in Lewes, DE, in 2013. He spent his remaining years enjoying the small-town atmosphere and historic ambience of Old Town Lewes.
A celebration of life is planned for April.
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