https://www.nrtoday.com/obits/richard-packham/article_4a0da5d2-fb4e-11ee-b0db-bb1390fd532e.html

A sad day for all of us.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2024 10:10PM by Maude.

Yes, a very sad day.

Richard's website was a gold mine of information.

He will be missed.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2024 10:11PM by Maude.

Agreed



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2024 10:11PM by Maude.

Oh no. I always enjoyed his presence and his posts.

Here's the last thread he responded to on March 3 here at RfM:

https://www.exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,2509057,2509057#msg-2509057


RIP Richard. You deserve it! Will definitely miss you even though we never met.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2024 11:39PM by Nightingale.

My eyes brimmed...

Such was my respect for him that I never "talked back" to him.

I wonder if there'll ever be another like him ...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2024 10:12PM by Maude.

elderolddog Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My eyes brimmed...

Mine too, EOD. Remarkable how we can feel warm towards people we have never met.


> Such was my respect for him that I never "talked
> back" to him.

He was an easy person to respect.


> I wonder if there'll ever be another like him ...

A welcome miracle if so.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2024 10:12PM by Maude.

I will miss his posts. Everytime I think about sourdough bread, I think of him and the starter he used to share, RIP Richard Packham.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2024 10:13PM by Maude.

I'm sorry to read of Richard Packham's passing. As noted above, his website had a lot of good information about Mormonism and its adherents. I also remember on one of the many threads he posted on that he would occasionally dress up in LDS temple garb when he went to explain Mormonism to various groups who sought him out. He will definitely be missed, and I hope that someone will be able to keep his website up--even if it's not updated. Like the Tanners' Lighthouse site, it has a lot of factual information about historical Mormonism that really shouldn't be lost.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2024 10:13PM by Maude.

Lived to 90. Richard Packham, the un-apostle.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2024 10:13PM by Maude.

I am sorry to hear of this. He made many valuable contributions to those who wished to leave Mormonism behind them.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2024 10:14PM by Maude.

RIP, such a brilliant mind. I would have loved to have had him as a teacher.

Rest in peace Richard. A scholar and an intellectual. He is one of the people I think of when Mormon General Authorities accuse us of all being 'lazy learners' and use other such insults.

I see from Nightie’s post that Richard was posting here just last month. Good for him. I’ve had too many friends robbed of their last years by dementia.

Richard was one of the foundation stones of the exmo community. I hope his family can keep his website around. It is an invaluable resource. If his website can’t be kept active, I hope it can be subsumed into RFM or some similar site for both the information content, and for the historical record it represents.

Well done, thou good and faithful servant.

I have so much admiration and respect for him! I'm grateful for all he shared.

Thank you Mr. Packham for your intellect and example.
Sympathy and condolences to his family.

This loss hurts.

I had several online interactions with him, and he was truly a caring, helpful person. Someone else said, "He saved me." I think I might say the same.

Richard was the one who cemented my decision about leaving the mormon church back in the late 1990's. I attended one of the first exmormon conferences when it was held in Las Vegas. I had the honor of a conversation with him that helped me so much. His logic and calm assurance was just what I needed as I was trying to navigate such a life change I had gone through. I had been divorced from my dh for a few years after he came out as a gay man and more recently from a rebound marriage that should have been a fling, but that I insisted we marry.

Richard's influence on many of us will never be forgotten!

When the time is 'right', perhaps someone here will offer a (brief) bio.

Also; is anyone privy to the information resources he accumulated over the years? Access to that is most likely very valuable!

Best Wishes to all his friends & family, good memories are a treasure!!

Richard was one of the few exmo's I have met from this board. He was tenacious, intelligent, and as moral & ethical a fellow as I have ever met.

Later Buddy! Happy Trails!

HH =)

He accomplished a great deal in his life. A true intellectual. We were fortunate to have him with us. He helped many. I am saddened by this loss.

90 years seems so young today.

I felt privileged when he once answered a question of mine. Seemed like a terribly nice fellow.

He came from the generation just a head of mine, went through the temple before they began using "the shield" to cover your bits during the washing and anointing. He had to stand buck naked while a complete stranger washed him with a sponge. He then had to get anointed while standing there naked. My first endowment wasn't QUITE that bad.

Mormons used to be even weirder?

Oh, much -- but in different ways. Sure, it was racist, but they kept the youth engaged, and it was very enjoyable sometimes. The youth were very important to the church back in the day. The church was all about keeping the youth. There were so many things to "elevate" the youth. Anybody here that is my age (75) can hop in here and tell you more.

I'm sorry. I'm sad that he's no longer here. I learned so much from him. Thank you, Richard, for all the time and caring you put in to help your ex-mo buddies.

moment of silence

Richard would probably post here from behind the veil: "The reports of my death are no longer greatly exaggerated."

This is especially poignant because Richard got a big kick out of re-enacting the Mormon Temple Endowment costumes and all for attendees of the Exmo Conferences back in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Much respect for this brilliant person who shared so much of himself with our community,

Richard helped me so much in so many ways when I was leaving the cult. I was very sad to read of his passing. I met him in person in 1999 during the Exmo-East conference in Washington DC and got to hang out with him during some social time. I was totally star-struck. He truly was a lovely man.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2024 08:50PM by DebbiePA.

Nice to see you DebbiePA. I remember you from way back. Yes, it's always sad when someone we like, love and/or admire leaves the scene. It's amazing how inspirational some people can be. They touch our hearts and can never be forgotten.

Hope all is well with you.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2024 10:01PM by Nightingale.

Hi from me too Debbie. Lovely to see you. I am still processing Richard's passing. So much history and so many important moments.

It's so good to see these old "faces."

The ones who had been there before we got there and helped us all through. It is so sad to see them go. He really was a giant in leaving mormonism.

In remembrance of our Dearly Beloved Sir Richard...

Brilliant Man...Brilliant Mind...Brilliant Loss!

He will indeed be sorely missed...Thank You for Your Inspiration when I indeed needed it...Job well done...RIP Dear Sir.

Or so it seems to me...

Was instrumentally essential to me personally on my way out, a long time ago now. Am ever grateful.

RIP.

A Legend. A loss of great magnitude to our community.

I wanted to let everyone know that I have heard from Richard's son and I will send him this thread and all your thoughts. Also, his site will be maintained so all that information will not be lost. I know some of you were wondering. I am still processing. I knew Richard for a long time and his loss has been hard.

http://packham.n4m.org/

Thanks, Susan. He had a positive impact on a lot of our lives. Truly a wonderful man.

TG

Wonderful that Richard's site will be preserved. His work will continue to help many thinking people.

Condolences to his family. Such a loss is the hardest thing, at any age.

Thank you, Sus.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/2024 10:02PM by Nightingale.