Richard "Dick" Hagemeyer, a former director of the National Weather Service Pacific Region who was internationally recognized for his work with the U.S. Tsunami Warning Program, has died at age 77. RICHARD HAGEMEYER / FORMER
DIRECTOR, WEATHER SERVICE PACIFICOfficial respected
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for tsunami workBy B.J. Reyes
breyes@starbulletin.comHagemeyer died Thursday from complications associated with pneumonia.
"He was a very hard worker with a lot of personality," said Charles McCreery, geophysicist-in-charge at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach. "He had a very keen wit and knew how to make everybody laugh when he wanted to.
"He also had a very good command of the Pacific region here where he was working."
Born in Cincinnati, Hagemeyer's career in federal service spanned 51 years.
For the past 19 years, he was responsible for overseeing weather services in Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
He also was manager of the U.S. Tsunami Program and was the U.S. representative to the International Coordinating Group for the Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific, NOAA said.
"He was well-respected and very well-liked in the tsunami community," McCreery said. "We've received lots of message from our international tsunami colleagues in the past few days with their condolences and their good feelings and their sadness at losing Dick."
Hagemeyer served in the U.S. Army Air Corps and completed his education at Parks School of Aviation and Engineering at St. Louis University. He joined the National Weather Service in 1950, serving in Washington, D.C., and at various locations in the Pacific region, the NOAA said.
He held numerous managerial positions at the Weather Service and its parent agency, the NOAA, before coming to Hawaii in 1982 as the service's regional director.
"Dick possessed that unique combination of technical expertise and an unwavering commitment to his employees and the communities where he lived," said Scott Gudes, NOAA acting administrator. "He will be sorely missed."
McCreery, who worked for Hagemeyer for about six years, said he also will miss his former boss on a personal level.
"He was a very good mentor for me," McCreery said. "I kind of viewed him like a favorite uncle. He really felt like a member of the family."
Hagemeyer, a longtime resident of Hawaii Kai, is survived by his wife of 48 years, Helen; a sister, Mary Elizabeth Crook; a brother, Bart Hagemeyer Jr.; and many nieces and nephews.
Memorial services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday at Holy Nativity Episcopal Church in Aina Haina. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Richard and Helen Hagemeyer Undergraduate Scholarship in Meteorology, c/o The American Meteorology Society, 45 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108-3693.