Richard Riordan Obituary

Richard Joseph Riordan was a businessman, lawyer, politician, and Korean War veteran from the United States. Richard J. Riordan died at the age of 92,  on April 19, 2023, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Richard Riordan reportedly died just after 7:30 p.m. while he was surrounded by family, friends, caregivers and his beloved dogs.  He is survived by his wife, three children, three grandchildren and his sister.

Riordan was born in Queens, New York. He received an A.B. in philosophy from Princeton University in 1952, after completing a senior thesis titled “A Study of the Thomistic Faculty Psychology.”

He founded the law firm Riordan & McKinzie in 1975, which merged with Bingham McCutcheon in 2003. He founded the private equity firm Riordan, Lewis & Haden in 1982.

Riordan, a Republican, served as the 39th Mayor of Los Angeles from 1993 to 2001. He was elected in 1993 and re-elected in 1997, and he served until his term expired in 2001. Over two decades later, he is still the city’s last Republican mayor.

In the 2002 California gubernatorial election, he ran unsuccessfully for Governor, losing the Republican primary. He returned to business after leaving politics, specialising in private equity.