STUART, FLA. – On Oct. 11, 2016, Richard Joseph Hanson passed away after a brief and fast-moving illness at Martin Memorial Hospital.
Richard was born in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Aug. 31, 1955, to Cleonice (Renzetti) and Joseph Hanson and his second “parents,” siblings Judith and Robert. Rich was a born optimist; he is described as a ray of sunshine, a consummate reader and an intellectual from a young age. Rich’s youth was shaped by the generosity of his parents and culinary intensity of his maternal family. His young life was punctuated by Sunday family dinners for 20 in a cold water walk up in the Bronx that would last all afternoon and into the evening. Richard described the day he made his first meatball as the day he knew he would be a chef.
After extended study, Rich graduated from SUNY Oswego in 1979 with lifelong friends and a bachelor’s in political science. He then moved to Boston, where he tried his hand at more standard careers before following his dream to become a chef. He studied just long enough at Newbury Culinary to get a position in 1983 as an apprentice at The Daily Catch, an exemplary fresh Italian restaurant specializing in calamari. It was at the Daily Catch that he gained the moniker “Squid Vicious,” combining his love of cooking and punk. More notably, it was also where he met his true love and partner in life, Cary (Tolman). In Boston, surrounded by family and friends, and with his wife by his side, Rich’s culinary career flourished. Together, Rich and Cary worked at many notable restaurants, and their love for fresh food and quality ingredients began to grow. It wasn’t long before they began to think about moving out of the city in an effort to be closer to food sources, the land and the ocean.
The couple moved to the Blue Hill Peninsula in Maine in 1995. Inspired by a longstanding community that embraced being as close as you can to the origins of your food, Rich worked with farmers and restaurateurs who shared their knowledge and inspired him to delve into historical Maine cuisine and incorporate it into his palate.
Changing seas brought Rich and Cary to refocus and open their own restaurant, Cleonice Mediterranean Bistro, in 2002. The next 13 years were a concentration of energy, inspiration, and incredible community. Finally in charge of his own space and destiny, Chef Rich shined. He strove to make every choice with purpose. He was a pioneer in the local farm-to-table movement, and his dedication to local ingredients with international flavor was recognized twice by the James Beard Foundation.
Rich was a generous and beloved patriarch and mentor to everyone who worked for him. He supported his staff both professionally and emotionally, and truly loved his Cleonice family unconditionally. He was a remarkable person in all the ways that mattered, and he made an indelible imprint on all of those who knew and loved him. There are so many that Rich’s generosity has touched; he was a lifelong champion of anyone who needed a break. He lived by his Socialist Democratic values, stood up for fairness, and looked out for the underdog. If Rich hadn’t been a chef, he would have been a historian, an encyclopedia, an empath, a calculator, a comedian, a writer of great novels, and the worldwide expert on everything. He was an exceptional husband, son, brother, uncle, surrogate father and friend.
A tribute for this beloved man is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 12, at noon at the Ellsworth Unitarian Universalist Church. Attendees are encouraged to bring photos, recipes, memories and mementos to share that will be included in a memorial book.
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