Richard Louis Polese

Long time Santa Fe resident Richard Louis Polese, 84, passed away on Monday, May 11th, 2026.

Richard was born in Berkeley, California on November 16,1941 to James Paul Polese and Esther Miriam Holman. He grew up in Menlo Park, California and attended San Jose State before taking a road trip to see the country and find a small college. He landed in Hanover, Indiana where he graduated with a degree in journalism, and married his first wife, Maggie. They ventured west and settled in Santa Fe in 1964 where he began his book career as apprentice at Jack Rittenhouse’s Stagecoach Press.

Richard’s work includes writing for Rudy Rodriguez at the Santa Fe News (now the Santa Fe Reporter), editing for John Muir Publications, editing El Palacio magazine for the Museum of New Mexico, massage therapy, nursing, and most notably writing, publishing and editing for his own publishing business, Ocean Tree Books. He was a founding member of the New Mexico Book Association, served on the Santa Fe School Board and the board of the Warehouse 21 Youth Arts Center, ran for City Council, and was highly involved with The Friends of Peace Pilgrim. He also served as a director and minister for the Eternal Life Church.

Richard loved cars, especially his Hudsons, and was a columnist for the Hudson-Essex-Terraplane club’s newsletter. He enjoyed road trips throughout the US and traveling abroad to Italy, Russia, Ireland, India, and Mexico. He enjoyed meeting people, attending the Unitarian Universalist Church and the Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch, country and classical music, country dancing, the Santa Fe Opera, the company of women, writing letters to friends and family, a cold Guinness or Corona, neighborhood walks, road trips through New Mexico, and the history and culture of Santa Fe.

Richard is survived by his sisters Lia Cook (Mark), Carolyn Lehman (Peter), and Kit Galvin (Dennis), his children Tamsin Clark (Eric), Vanessa Barker (Travis), Martin Burch (Shu Yi) and grandchildren Lindsey, Gavin, Joey June, and Alice. His family asks that you enjoy a good meal of fish or tamales with green chile in his memory.