Richard J. Hundgen, a gently eccentric rock ’n roll storyteller who embodied the counterculture Haight-Ashbury lifestyle, died peacefully at his Nob Hill home in San Francisco on Monday, April 12, 2021. He was 75.
Born in New York City to Clarence and Mildred (née Ulrich) Hundgen on November 25, 1945, he was the eldest of their four children. The family spent summers in Southampton, New York.
In 1963, Richard attended Rockford College in Rockford, Illinois where he pursued a dual degree in English literature and art history. He transferred to San Francisco State University where he continued his studies and began a career in the music business.
A fixture in Haight-Ashbury during the “Summer of Love” and beyond, he cut a colorful figure, wearing long flowing robes, and riding on the back of a Hell’s Angels motorcycle down Haight Street, bestowing blessings on passersby.
Richard toured with Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company as their road manager. Photos of him appeared in several books about the era, including “The Band’s With Me,” by Sally Mann Romano and “The Dead” by Hank Harrison, where he’s shown wearing a baseball mitt during a weekly softball game with members of the Grateful Dead.
In 1980, Richard joined Gomez & Patton Real Estate as a rental agent in Nob Hill, Russian Hill and Pacific Heights. He worked there until his retirement in 2020. He enjoyed a close relationship with the Gomez family. Stephen Gomez described him as “a child of the 1960s” who was idolized by the younger generations that followed him.
“His story-telling abilities kept the 60s alive in his colorful oral history of that defining time,” Gomez said. “He broke the mold in so many ways.”
Richard was a member of the Nob Hill Association for over 30 years. In 1987, he received a commendatory letter from Mayor Dianne Feinstein for coordinating the lighting of the South Transept window at Grace Cathedral. The stained glass window— measuring 25 by 45 feet — is the second largest in the United States. He lived directly across from the cathedral; the view from his terrace included the magnificent window that he helped to light. His ashes will be interred in the Grace Cathedral columbarium.
In addition to rock ‘n roll, Hundgen loved opera, studying world religions, the M. H. de Young Museum and dining out at his favorite neighborhood restaurants including Osso Steakhouse, Original Joe’s and Zeki’s Bar. His friends remember him as generous and eccentric, and a great storyteller, who regaled them with tales of his extensive travels.
Predeceased by his parents and younger brother, Rob, he is survived by his sister, Chris (John) Brunner of Bayport, NY, and brother, Tom (JoAnn Kirkland) of Shelter Island, NY; his aunt, Ginny Withers of the Bronx, and an extended family including Jason, Christian, Quentin and Morgan Brunner; Quinn Hundgen; Dennis Withers, Claudia (Peter) Jennings, Lynn Withers (Linda Kerkam), Deb (Charlie) McKinney, Scott (Mary) Withers, Daniel (Lily) Withers, Donald (Sarah) Hundgen; as well as several dear friends, including Julian Avalos.
A celebration of Richard’s life will take place at a later date. Donations may be made in his memory to Grace Cathedral: 1100 California St., San Francisco, CA 94108 or gracecathedral.org.
