Alfred Station, NY

Richard L. “Rick” Gringhuis, 81, of Jericho Hill Road in Alfred Station, NY, died unexpectedly on October 31, 2025.

Born in Holland, MI on August 1, 1944, he was the son of Richard H. “Dirk” and Helen (Lees) Gringhuis.  Rick grew up in East Lansing, MI, and graduated from East Lansing High School in 1962, where he dressed up and wore a tie to class each day.  He earned both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Marketing from Michigan State University.

On September 8, 1965, Rick married his high school sweetheart, the former Karen Bielinski.  Karen passed away on the day of their 50th wedding anniversary, September 8, 2015.  Throughout the years, Rick and Karen resided primarily in Chicago, IL, and Alfred, NY.

Rick was employed by Sears Roebuck & Co. at their World Headquarters, and later by Frankel & Company—where he served as Managing Director and was responsible for McDonald’s menu board planning.  He was later hired for his expertise in this area to do consulting in China.  After his official retirement, Rick worked at the Apple Store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, just for fun.

During their life together, Rick and Karen had season tickets to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and enjoyed frequenting restaurants, art galleries and museums.  Rick was a loving, supportive husband and Karen was the center of his world.  He was a true gentleman.  After Karen’s death, Rick sold their loft in Printer’s Row and relocated to their home in Alfred, where he became an active member of the village community.  He was a warm, thoughtful, generous person who often reached out to help others.  He was a good listener and had a wonderful sense of humor.

Rick had a style all his own with his Jeep, bald shaved head, tattoos, wardrobe, and eclectic collection of hats, satchels and canes.  He was a self-proclaimed “gadget geek”, who embraced modern technological innovations and always sported the latest gear.  He loved music, news, movies and TV.  He was an avid reader (especially horror stories) and enjoyed Sci-Fi and action films, as well as old westerns and documentaries.

Rick is survived by his dear friend, Carrie E. Crane of Rochester, NY; his sister-in-law, Janina Latack of Tucson, AZ; his nephew Andrew Latack of New York, NY; and many Alfred residents.

At Rick’s request, there will be no services held.