Richard Edward McInnis

life story

Researcher, Educator & Storyteller

A seeker of truth, a student of life—his curiosity never faded.

About Richard

Richard McInnis, a lifelong lover of history, aviation, art, and storytelling, passed away on June 28, 2025, in St. Paul, Minnesota, due to heart failure. He was 82 years old.

Born in San Bernardino, California, on February 15, 1943, Richard led a diverse and hardworking life. Over the years, he worked across a wide range of industries—each chapter adding to the mosaic of his character.

His professional journey included producing radio at KWIZ Santa Ana for the Pat Michaels Show, working at Shakey’s Pizza as the “skin man” making dough, and frying potatoes at one of McDonald’s earliest and busiest locations in Huntington Beach. He later moved into technical roles, building IBM card readers, managing bonded stock rooms, and leading CPU and harness line production during the early rise of personal computing.

From the late 1980s into the 1990s, Richard served as a production planner at General Dynamics in Pomona. He also worked as a technical writer for Martin Marietta at Fort Irwin, and later as a graphic designer and interim supervisor at Auto Trader magazine.

Richard earned his Master’s Degree in Education from National University, graduating with honors. He held a Professional Clear Teaching Credential and spent time substitute teaching, where he shared his knowledge and humor with students—often regaling them with stories about how local innovator Ron Aguirre developed one of the first hydraulic lift systems for a car, how Taco Bell and McDonald’s got their start, and the three saints (mountains) that surrounded his lifelong home in the San Bernardino Valley.

Despite being born blind in one eye, having heart problems from birth, and spinal issues, Richard remained determined and resilient. His stories from that time, including helping to rebury a mistakenly interred woman and breaking his foot under a slab of sidewalk, became part of the family’s rich oral history. Even in his final years, he continued to dream of skydiving or flying an ultralight plane. He never lost his sense of wonder or his desire to learn.

A passionate writer and historian, Richard regularly published articles in the Rialto Record, Colton Courier, Aviation Journal, and historical publications such as the Native Sons of the Golden West – Arrowhead Chapter and the San Bernardino Historical Society Journal. His deep interest in San Bernardino’s past and in researching his family's genealogy remained lifelong pursuits.

Some of Richard’s fondest memories were of camping trips to the beach and Yosemite with his wife and children—times filled with nature, laughter, and the simple joy of being together. In his final ten months, he lived with his son in Wisconsin, where they spent cherished time reconnecting and making new memories. In his last conversations, Richard expressed deep pride in his children and all they had accomplished.

He was a talented amateur artist, an aviation enthusiast, a devoted researcher, and a man with a story for every occasion.

Richard was especially proud of his father, who served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He wore an Army Air Corps baseball cap everywhere in his dad’s honor.

Richard is survived by his brother Joel (wife Wendy); his sister Christy (widow of Raymond Kropacek); his former wife, Carol; his son Edward, a retired U.S. Navy Sonar Technician (E-6), and Edward’s wife, Tamantha; and other extended family members. He was preceded in death by his beloved son, Eric McInnis, in 2023.

A celebration of Richard’s life will be held privately by the family. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor him may consider supporting a local historical society or aviation museum in his memory.