In the tech world, we reserve the word “visionary” for the rare individuals who see tomorrow long before the rest of us catch up. In Losing Richard, Julie Maxwell’s memoir about her husband’s life and cognitive decline, we discover a story that belongs firmly in that category — a story of innovation, disruption, and foresight that predates today’s sustainability movement by decades.
It is not just a love story.
It is the biography of a man who recognized a global problem before it hit headlines — and designed solutions long before governments and corporations scrambled to align themselves with environmental responsibility.
Before the Tech Revolution in Sustainability, There Was Richard
Richard’s entrepreneurial journey began long before sustainability became a buzzword. After rising through executive roles in major corporations across the East and West Coasts, he co-founded a food packaging company dedicated to organic, compostable materials.
This was not the era of green marketing, eco-friendly certifications, or circular economy think-tanks. It was the 1980s and early 1990s — when plastic dominated, environmental responsibility was niche, and “eco-packaging” sounded like either a fantasy or a luxury.
But Richard saw a crisis coming.
While others viewed plastic as an inevitable necessity, he viewed it as an unresolved threat. While competitors doubled down on cost-cutting petroleum-based containers, he invested in biodegradable alternatives sourced from around the world. While the tech sector was still in its infancy, he operated like a modern sustainability founder — innovating, testing, sourcing, and manufacturing on an international scale.
In today’s language, he was doing:
• early-stage R&D
• supply chain innovation
• global sourcing
• concept pitching
• cross-border product engineering
• consumer behavior testing
Long before those terms became staples on pitch decks.
A Founder’s Brain: Pattern Recognition as a Superpower
Entrepreneurs in tech often succeed because they can recognize patterns — problems, solutions, market shifts, and human behavior nuances — before the mainstream does. Richard possessed this trait in abundance.
The memoir highlights his ability to identify opportunities not by following trends, but by questioning them. He observed the wastefulness of plastic containers in grocery chains and believed change was not only possible but inevitable. His entrepreneurial instincts told him that early adoption and innovation were worth the risk.
His talents did not go unnoticed. National newspapers eventually featured him, praising his transition from contributing to landfills to pioneering eco-friendly solutions. Major grocery chains tested (and later adopted) his biodegradable food containers — a rare victory in an era resistant to change.
Today, entire sectors of tech are racing to develop plant-based plastics, algae-based materials, and carbon-neutral packaging. But Richard had already walked that path decades earlier.
The Human Side of Innovation: A Mind That Once Raced Ahead Begins to Slow
What makes Richard’s story so compelling — and heartbreaking — is the sharp contrast between the innovative mind he once had and the cognitive decline he later faced.
Tech innovators are often imagined as tireless, endlessly curious, always ideating. Richard was exactly that. His mind thrived on complexity, challenge, and creativity. His global business trips to Hong Kong and China were not just sourcing expeditions; they were intellectual playgrounds for him.
But dementia, as Maxwell’s memoir painfully details, gradually stripped away the cognitive abilities that once defined him:
• the ability to read long articles
• the stamina for deep focus
• the passion for solving problems
• the ability to strategize and plan
Where he once commanded rooms, he became overwhelmed in crowded environments.
Where he once pitched ideas to retailers, he struggled to follow conversations.
Where he once explored global markets, he now clung to the comfort of familiar spaces.
This emotional contrast humanizes the tech conversation. Behind every innovation lies a human mind — fragile, finite, and deeply shaped by the people who support it.
The Pandemic’s Disruption: A Case Study in Innovation Under Pressure
Richard’s consulting work during the pandemic offers a poignant example of adaptability under crisis. Even as dementia was tightening its grip, he designed new food container prototypes and pitched them over Zoom to national retailers.
Then the pandemic broke supply chains.
His major consulting contract dissolved as shipping delays rendered new products risky. This mirrors what thousands of tech and manufacturing innovators faced during 2020–2022 — unprecedented logistical failure.
For Richard, the loss of structure and purpose accelerated cognitive decline. For many founders, the pandemic exposed how deeply identity is tied to innovation.
A Legacy That Tech Can Learn From
Richard may no longer recall the details of his contributions, but their impact remains. His products are still used by major grocery chains. His ideas live on in the broader sustainability movement. His early innovations paved the way for technologies now celebrated as cutting edge.
His story offers several lessons for today’s tech community:
1. True innovation begins before the world believes in it.
Richard’s eco-packaging ideas were decades early — the hallmark of a visionary.
2. Entrepreneurship requires both brilliance and partnership.
Julie’s support, both emotionally and practically, underscores the unseen labor behind every great founder.
3. Cognitive health is an unspoken part of tech culture.
Burnout, chronic stress, and neurological decline deserve more attention in innovation-driven fields.
4. Legacy outlasts ability.
Even when the mind can no longer hold the ideas, the world can still benefit from them.
The Final Message
In a sector obsessed with the future, Losing Richard reminds us of something profoundly human: that innovation is not just about building better products — it’s about the minds that imagine them, the people who support them, and the stories that endure long after brilliance fades.
