Richard L. Lassen

Richard Landers Lassen, age 89, passed away at Massachusetts General Hospital on Monday, April 13, 2026, from complications due to pneumonia and congestive heart failure. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on June 8, 1936, he was the second son, and youngest of three children, of Frank L. Lassen and Dorothy L. Lassen. Known as Dick to his family and friends, he grew up on Upton Road in Waltham and was a 1954 graduate of Waltham High School.

As a child, Dick developed his love of sports. He particularly enjoyed playing baseball and basketball with his friends, and fishing with his father and brother. In high school, he was an accomplished pitcher for his high school and American Legion teams. As a spectator, he was an avid fan of the Boston Red Sox and Boston Celtics from a young age and became an ardent supporter of all Boston sports teams, relishing the “championship years” of the 2000s and 2010s, especially the Red Sox World Series win in 2004.

Growing up, he enjoyed spending time in Gloucester with his immediate and extended family at the family’s summer “camp”. His time in Gloucester fostered his love of the ocean, and related activities. He learned to swim at an early age in the cold water at Good Harbor Beach wearing his sneakers due to the rocky shoreline and fishing with his father and older brother every weekend. Despite being prone to terrible seasickness, Dick held the family fishing record for the largest fish caught when he was a young teen, for catching a giant halibut with an old-fashioned handline. The smile on his face in the picture which captured the achievement says it all.

After graduation from high school, Dick attended Northeastern University and studied electrical engineering. A proud veteran of the United States Army, Dick attended Northeastern as an Army ROTC cadet. Upon graduation in 1959, Dick was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant and stationed for three years at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. Dick was honorably discharged in 1962, having achieved the rank of 1st lieutenant.

After returning to Massachusetts, Dick began his professional career as an electrical engineer working for Raytheon Corporation and other defense contractors. In the early 1970s, Dick transitioned to working in technical sales in the defense electronics industry where he spent the remainder of his career, much of which he spent as the New England District Sales Manager for the former Watkins-Johnson Company. Dick initially retired in 1996 but returned to the workforce just six months later when a former colleague recruited him back to work. Dick retired for good in 1999 and never looked back.

Dick met his beloved wife Diana in 1963 at a social event for young singles at Trinity Church in Boston and they were married in 1964 following a brief courtship. Married for almost 61 years, Diana and Dick shared a full life together and lived in the same house in Westwood for almost 60 years, where they raised their two children. He and Diana loved playing bridge socially with friends and hosting dinner parties. They were also competitive duplicate bridge players and enjoyed playing a lot of bridge before and during retirement. With his engineer’s mind, Dick loved solving puzzles, particularly Sudoku. He religiously completed the Sudoku puzzle in the Boston Globe daily before reading any of the news articles. Dick also loved to travel and explore new places. During their retirement, he and Diana enjoyed traveling across New England, the United States, Canada and Europe, and spent several years escaping New England winters in Venice, Florida.

A 40-year seasonal resident of South Harwich on Cape Cod, Dick loved spending as much time as he could on the Cape and relished his time at his home away from home. During their retirement years, he and Diana spent every summer on the Cape. Dick spent many happy days at Red River Beach over those 40 years with his family and “summer” friends and later his grandchildren. Dick enjoyed the simple pleasures of life on the Cape, like reading a book, swimming in the ocean, taking walks on the beach, puttering around the yard, spending time with his family, and enjoying a good meal. Diana was a wonderful cook and accomplished baker, and Dick appreciated her home cooking, especially her scratch pies and her lemon meringue pie was his favorite.

Family was important to Dick. He was a devoted husband to Diana (who was devoted to him as well), and in her last few years of life, Dick was a loving caregiver for her. He loved family holidays, celebrating birthdays, a good cookout on a hot summer’s day and he was always willing to help his children and grandchildren. Dick treasured his role as Papa to his three granddaughters - Audrey, Grace and Hannah – whom he loved and adored. They were a source of great joy to him. He loved to spend time with them, playing games, hearing about their activities and achievements, and watching their dance recitals, piano recitals and sporting events.

Dick was a true gentleman, kind and respectful to everyone. He had a keen intellect and analytical skills. He was a good listener, and always had practical advice to offer if you asked for it. His children will miss the “pearls of wisdom” he shared with them over their lifetimes. He will be remembered for his good humor, friendly nature, and ever present encouraging smile.

Dick was preceded in death by his beloved wife of nearly sixty-one years, Diana L. Lassen of Westwood. Dick is survived by his daughter Gayle K. Lassen of Jamaica Plain, his son Richard D. Lassen and his wife Kendra of Westwood, and his granddaughters Audrey Lassen, Grace Lassen and Hannah Lassen. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Virginia M. Stentz and her husband Richard of Creve Coeur, Missouri.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Barbara A. Lassen of Norwood, and his brother Robert T. Lassen and his wife, Coralou P. Lassen, of Harwich, Massachusetts, as well as Diana’s remaining siblings. Dick is also survived by several nieces and nephews, extended family, and close friends.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend Dick's visitation at the Folsom Funeral Home, 649 High Street, Westwood, MA, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 from 4PM to 7PM. A funeral service will be held at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 24 Berwick Road, Norwood, MA on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at 10AM, followed by interment with military honors at New Westwood Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Dick’s memory to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston, Inc., 200 High Street, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02110 or the Corrigan Minehan Heart Center at the Massachusetts General Hospital (c/o of the Mass General Development Office, 125 Nashua Street, Suite 540, Boston, MA 02114-1101).