Richard Gregory Madeo was an artist, father, husband, brother, uncle, and friend. The seventh child of an Italian American Catholic family, Rich sprang into life as a Navy brat in Bainbridge, Maryland, on October 24, 1954. Growing up, he had a houseful of babysitters, all of whom took turns watching him, including playing ball – and he was the ball!

His father, Joseph, was a naval officer, and his mother, Ruth, was a nurse and homemaker. The family moved frequently, first from Maryland to South Carolina for a stint with Great Uncle Pat, and then to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, then to Norfolk, Virginia, to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Long Island, New York, and finally to Key West, Florida, where Rich graduated high school.

Always on the lookout for adventure, Rich dropped out of college at age 20 to join his father and the Murphy Pacific Marine Salvage Company in Egypt for a project cleaning sunken ships out of the Suez Canal. Rich worked long days as a deckhand and spent his time off exploring Egypt, including the Sphinx (“Back when you could climb on it”) and the Great Pyramid of Giza. This experience inspired his lifetime fascination with ancient Egypt and sacred geometry.

Rich returned to the States, landing in Pacifica, CA where he met and married his wife Carol in 1983. They started a custom window company, Bridwell’s Windows, working side by side and raising their two kids, Joe and Amara. The family made the move to Sequim in 1991, where they bought and lovingly remodeled their own 1927 farmhouse.

Ever independent, Rich again started his own business with help from Carol and established himself as a master carpenter, remodel expert, and jack of all trades. His versatility, attention to detail, passion, and perfectionism did not go unnoticed. His sense of humor, creative zest and soft spot for little old ladies earned him many friends throughout the community and a reputation as a reliable expert contractor.

A self-taught outsider artist and craftsman, Rich devoted his free time to pursuing his art “Organic Geometry”. Utilizing exotic woods and Escher-like tessellation, he crafted highly delicate and intricate wood-inlay sculptures, tracking how many cuts, types of wood and hours of painstaking labor each piece required before dreaming up the next one. His process itself was an art of its own. Each piece was a new challenge, a puzzle to be worked out and completed. Rich was a restless mastermind, always thinking ahead to his next big project. His art has been bought by private collectors and featured in shops in Seattle and Sequim, including La Petite Maison Blanche. Sadly, his life ended May 8, 2025, preventing him from having the big art show he always wanted.

Rich is preceded in death by his son Joe, sister Maria, and brothers Joe, Chris and Pete. He is survived by his wife Carol, daughter Amara, sisters Meg, Martha, and Chris, cousins Tim and Bill, six nieces, five nephews and many dear friends. He was deeply loved and is greatly missed.

A memorial art show is planned for Sunday June 29th at the Sequim Prairie Garden Clubhouse in Pioneer Park from 3 pm to 6 pm. Friends and community members are invited to drop in and peruse the art and celebrate the life and legacy of Rich Madeo.