Richard Grinnell Cleaver died September 23 at the age of 72.
Cleaver was born in Jackson, Mississippi, to Sara and Charles Cleaver. He grew up primarily in Grinnell, Iowa, then attended Phillips Exeter Academy and Amherst College, ultimately graduating from Grinnell College in 1975, with a BA in classics and music.
He held a variety of positions, and many years focused on peace activism, including working at the NYC Catholic Worker House with Dorothy Day, the Des Moines Iowa Catholic Worker House, and the American Friends Service Organization, in Ann Arbor Michigan. He also spent time living in Japan, studying Japanese, teaching English, and translating. He obtained a Masters from Sheffield University in England, in Advanced Japanese Studies.
He then returned to Grinnell, Iowa, again, where he worked at Grinnell College as a grant writer. He moved to the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2012, where he also worked as a grant writer until his retirement. He remained in the USVI until his death.
Richard was an ever-curious scholar, and a voracious reader, surrounding himself with books on a wide range of topics. He was also a talented writer, having collaborated on or independently published 3 books. He was gifted in multiple languages as well.
He adhered fiercely to his principles and beliefs, loved classical music, and cooking.
He is survived by his sister, Ann Cleaver Bailey.
