Thanks to Cullen McClure for informing us of Don Richter’s death today. Per Cullen, Don battled cardiac related issues for years but he found out after his last heart attack in 2014 that he had cancer as well.

Don played a pivotal role in Department T for many years, and will be missed by all who were fortunate to know him. Madison does a great job of expressing our sentiments about Don in his heartfelt note which is included below.

Rest in peace Don.

Here is information about Don’s funeral service.

Don’s service will be this Friday, September 2nd at 10:00am in the Lutheran Church of the Messiah in Decatur.

The church is located at 465 Clairemont Ave, Decatur, GA 30030 (Map)

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to either the American Cancer Society or The American Heart Association.

Best regards, Cullen

---

Memories of Don Richter

by Madison Riley

I’m saddened to inform you that our friend and colleague, Don Richter, passed away early this morning. Don was our Corporate Systems Manager in the IT department.

I realize that many of you didn’t know Don; for others, he may have been some mystic name that you would hear from time to time in the context of our Accounting and Financial systems. This is just the way Don liked it, the venerable wizard behind the curtain. For those of you who did know him or have had the great opportunity to work with him directly, you know we’ve lost a powerhouse of a man who brought so much more to the table than his deep understanding of our systems.

Don started at the firm January 1st, 1980 which made him one of our most tenured employees. He started with Kurt Salmon as a college intern and would later join the firm full time in 1980 after graduating with a law degree from Emory. Don possessed an incredibly rich, detailed, and analytical mind. In fact, his skill and creativity were the driving force behind our highly customized legacy accounting systems (aka the DG system) that served us well for over 25 years. More recently, Don was an important component in the implementation effort of our current Financial system. Don spent months of his time working in Europe when we transitioned to PeopleSoft during the 2000’s. He worked tirelessly side by side the accounting staff solving issues and easing the transition, often times bending the rigid, unforgiving system to his will.

Having joined Kurt Salmon 4 years after Don, he was senior to me; and I remember so many times when I needed help with billing for my clients or for project accounting, going to down to “Department T” (what we called finance at the time) and seeking his help. He was always patient and would always solve whatever challenge I presented. He was a man of intelligence, integrity, good-natured warmth, humor and love for working at Kurt Salmon.

What many of us didn’t know is that Don had a deep appreciation for history and the arts. He was an accomplished photographer and gourmand, a “foodie” before the word existed. Don suffered from health related issues for several years but that didn’t hold him back from his love of cooking and fine food. He’d just use his creativity to come up with healthy ways to enjoy one of his many loves. Our colleagues in IT were continually challenged by his wit, his knowledge, his intellect and his seemingly unending supply of memory.

For many of us, we lost a great friend and mentor today. For all of us, we lost an important part of the Kurt Salmon family and legacy. Our collective thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Pam, his daughter Jennifer, and the rest of his extended family. He will be missed.

Madison Riley
Chief Operating Officer &
Managing Partner – Asia Pacific