Posted on: Tuesday, October 30, 2001
Richard Hagemeyer, Pacific weather expert, dead at 77
By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer
Richard "Dick" Hagemeyer, former director of the National Weather Service Pacific Region, died Oct. 25 in Honolulu. He was 77.
Hagemeyer was internationally recognized for his leadership in developing the U.S. Tsunami Warning Program. He also was credited with modernizing weather services in Hawai'i and the Pacific Region, and improving coordination of tropical cyclone response in Pacific Rim countries.
For the past 19 years, Hagemeyer oversaw weather services in Hawai'i, Guam, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and the Marshall Islands. He also served as manager of the Tsunami Warning Program and was the U.S. representative to the International Coordinating Group for the Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific, which he chaired for several years.
Scott Gudes, acting administrator with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said Hagemeyer was a "dedicated and energetic public servant."
"His interest in NOAA and improving weather services in the Pacific region made him a valuable member of our management team," Gudes said. "Dick possessed that unique combination of technical expertise and an unwavering commitment to his employees and the communities where he lived."
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Hagemeyer served with the U.S. Army Air Corps. He then completed his education at Parks School of Aviation and Engineering at St. Louis University.
Hagemeyer joined the National Weather Service (then the U.S. Weather Bureau) in 1950, serving in Washington, D.C. He held numerous managerial positions and in 1982 was named Pacific Region director in Hawai'i.
During his tenure, Hagemeyer ensured that jurisdictions he served received the most advanced technology available. New facilities were built in Hawai'i and new offices in American Samoa and Hilo are under construction or planned. Technological upgrades also were made at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in 'Ewa Beach.
In 1987, Hagemeyer received the U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Medal, the department's highest award, for outstanding leadership in the Pacific Region.
"His knowledge of weather forecasting coupled with his fiscal acumen was a great combination," said retired National Weather Service director general Jack Kelly.
Hagemeyer is survived by his wife, Helen; sister, Mary Crook; brother, Bart Jr.; and nieces and nephews.
Memorial service will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at Holy Nativity Episcopal Church in Honolulu. Donations can be made to the Richard and Helen Hagemeyer Undergraduate Scholarship in Meteorology, c/o The American Meteorology Society, 45 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108-3693.
