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Richard Harold Storm

Richard Harold Storm '59

Jul. 30, 1937-Oct. 19, 2019

Richard Harold Storm ’59, a Renaissance man of Sarasota, Fla., who embraced careers ranging from teacher to public relations specialist to music critic, was born on July 30, 1937, in Peekskill, N.Y., a son of the former Mildred Drymon and Harold Storm, a school super­intendent. He prepared for Hamilton at Arlington High School in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

On College Hill, Storm was a member of the College Choir, the Charlatans, the staff of The Spectator, and WHCL radio. A member of Theta Delta Chi fraternity, he also served on the Art Center Board, as an editor of The Continental, and as president of the Literary Society.

Storm focused his studies in English literature and French and Francophone studies. “My Hamilton memories are primarily associated with the Choir and the always astounding John Baldwin. His challenges, both musical and intellectual, have shaped my life to this day,” Storm wrote for his 50th reunion.

After graduation, Storm traveled abroad, spending 30 years in the Mediterranean region. He began his career teaching English at the American School in Beirut, Lebanon, and then worked for Fistere Associates, a public relations and tourism marketing firm in Lebanon and Jordan, as a producer for CBS and NBC. Finally, he was a marketing consultant for Bulgari, the luxury goods company. He also owned and published English-language magazines in Cairo and Rome.

Storm returned to the United States in 1989 and settled on the Gulf Coast of Florida. In addition to working as a freelance marketing consultant, translator, and public relations adviser, he served as the first executive director of the Seaside Institute before joining the Sarasota County Arts Council as director of marketing services. His last consulting position was handling public relations, marketing, and corporate underwriting for the Rivolta Group of Companies at their headquarters in Florida and Italy.

Storm also provided consulting services for historic preservation projects in Florida and for performing arts organizations. According to a published obituary, the high point of his career was serving as president and executive director of Key Chorale, the official chorus of the Florida West Coast Symphony. Cementing his love of music fostered at Hamilton, he wrote hundreds of reviews for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and other publications in the U.S. and Canada. He also wrote a column on architecture and urban planning for Sarasota magazine.
Storm, who was described in the obituary as “someone who brought people together,” died on Oct. 19, 2019. He was 82 years old and is survived by two nieces and two nephews.

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Note: Memorial biographies published prior to 2004 will not appear on this list.



Necrology Writer and Contact:
Christopher Wilkinson '68
Email: Chris.Wilkinson@mail.wvu.edu

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