St. Mark’s Remembers Dick Rader

Richard (Dick) Rader, a pioneering physics teacher who brought St. Mark’s into the computer age, passed away in Framingham on June 18. He was 91. 

A St. Mark’s faculty member for 41 years (1959-2000), Dick was among the School’s longest-serving faculty and staff members. He also served as senior teacher (then called senior master), a title bestowed upon the School’s longest-tenured faculty member, from 1997 to 2000. 

“A hands-on teacher of physics, he could show his youngest students how to use a slide rule and then introduce them to the challenges of computer programming,” Richard E. Noble ’76  wrote in his 2015 history of St. Mark’s, The Echo of Their Voices: 150 Years of St. Mark’s School. 

Dick’s impact extended far beyond the classroom. “Early in my St. Mark’s career, I was fortunate to have Dick Rader as my advisor and mentor,” said Edward A. Taft ’69, who was instrumental in developing Adobe’s Portable Document Format (PDF) technology, on the occasion of Taft’s Distinguished Alumni induction ceremony in 2019. “Dick pioneered student computing at St. Mark’s. He provided the inspiration, encouragement, and guidance to spark my interest in computing.”

In recognition of his extraordinary contributions to the School, the Richard A. Rader Chair—currently held by English teacher Jason Eslick—was established in 2001 to honor his legacy.

“Dick Rader was one of the most visionary educators I have come across in my career,” says John C. Warren ’74, St. Mark’s head of school from 2006 to 2024. “Very early on, for example, Dick saw the potential of computer programming to kindle deep fascination in students. Dick’s own passion persuaded School administrators to invest in everything he and students needed to do pathbreaking educational work. The lives of a sizable cohort of students were changed by what Dick put into their hands.

“Also visionary was Dick’s advocacy for developing an exchange program with a school in Japan. Although Japanese students were only in Southborough for a short period, and vice-versa, many participants have told me over the years about the profound impact of the home stay either at St. Mark’s or in Kyoto.

“Finally, Dick was also the consummate school person, ably taking on a variety of responsibilities at the School when the need arose. Generations of St. Mark’s students had a richer experience at school because of the warm welcome Dick and Carol offered in their home."

Born in Worcester to Harold (Dutch) and Dorothy Rader, Dick grew up on the campus of Worcester Academy and graduated in 1951. He majored in chemistry and graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1955 and married Carol Elizabeth Parsons (1932-2019) of Auburn in 1954. He received an M.A. in physical sciences from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1965.

Dick worked as a research chemist at Eastman Kodak Corporation in Rochester, N.Y., and served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps at Fort Huachuca, Ariz. from 1956 to 1958. He returned to Worcester Academy to teach chemistry from 1958 to 1959 and then joined the faculty of St. Mark’s.

He and Carol both enjoyed music and travel. On retirement, he and Carol became members of the congregation at First Parish in Framingham, where he served on the Board of Assessors and the maintenance committee.  He also served on the board and as president of the Assabet Valley Mastersingers. He enjoyed spending time at the family home in Vermont, photography, playing the cello, woodworking, and beekeeping.

He was preceded in death by Carol, his wife of 65 years. He is survived by sister Mary Randall of Enumclaw, Wash., sons Richard Rader (Suzanne) of Winchendon and Charles Rader (Nancy) of River Falls, Wisc., and grandchildren Erica, Gregory, and Rebecca. A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to First Parish in Framingham, Worcester Academy, or St. Mark’s School, Southborough.

“Dick’s love of St. Mark’s was abiding and deep, and the difference he made to the School and to so many students over so many years is extraordinary,” Warren says. “He will be sorely missed.”

To read Dick Rader’s full obituary, visit https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/richard-rader-obituary?id=58693197.