STEPHEN L. RICHTER
1948 - 2008

Stephen Lee Richter, ADGA Linear Appraiser, Senior Judge, and popular National Show Judge, age 59, passed away in York, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 16, 2008. He was born on Sept. 14, 1948 in Ontario, Oregon.

Steve was residing in Sparks, Maryland at the time of his death and was employed as a goat judge and appraiser. Steve also worked as an active volunteer for various programs in ADGA. He served on such standing ADGA Committees as the National Sales, Judges' Training, and the National Show Committee. He also served one term as a District VII Director on the ADGA Board of Directors.

A popular judge and appraiser, Steve rarely met anyone he didn't like. He was a traveler, vagabond, and a skilled evaluator of dairy goats and people. Steve lived life on his own terms most of his life.

His family moved to Boise, Idaho in 1952 where Steve attended Jefferson Elementary and Sacred Heart School. He also attended Saint Theresa's Academy and graduated from Bishop Kelly High School in 1966. He went on to attend Saint Mary's College in California for two years before returning home to take classes at Boise State.

After college, Steve wandered around Western Oregon before settling down on a farm near Carlton, Oregon. Steve then began raising dairy goats for the family's milk supply in 1971 and purchased his first registered dairy goats in 1975. He and his wife, Frankie, had a very competitive show herd of Nubians and LaManchas in the 1970's and 1980's. It was during that time that he first became active with the American Dairy Goat Association.

Steve was preceded in death by his father, Roy and youngest brother. He is survived by his son, James; mother, Esther; brothers, Jim, Tom, Ron, Don, Jerry, Larry; and many sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews. He had been single for many years.

A Memorial Service was held on Saturday, March 1, 2008 at Cloverdale Funeral Home in Boise, Idaho, with a reception immediately following.

Arrangements have been made for a Memorial Service in the east for those unable to attend the one in Boise. It will be held on March 8th at Camp Puh'Tok, 17433 Big Falls Road, Monkton, MD 21111, at 1:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Steve Richter Scholarship Fund through the American Dairy Goat Association in c/o Shirley McKenzie, P.O. Box 865, Spindale, NC 28160.