PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTINA PAVOLA

GEORGE RICHTER OF GEORGE RICHTER FARMS GREW BERRIES THAT WERE KNOWN FOR THEIR QUALITY. Here, he is with his wife Pin in December 2007.

Local farmer George Richter dies at 78

By Meghan Erkkinen

Fife farmer George Richter, whose berries are known for their freshness and quality, died Feb. 18 after a battle with thyroid cancer. He was 78.

Richter was born in Puyallup June 23, 1929. He attended the University of Washington, where he received a pharmaceutical degree. Richter joined the armed forces and fought in Korea. Following his service, he spent a few years abroad recovering from tuberculosis, and then returned to Puyallup to work as a pharmacist.

Richter purchased 12 acres of land along 70th Street near the Puyallup River in 1963 and began farming berries.

“He was a third-generation berry grower,” said Christina Pavola, who worked for George Richter Farms for 15 years. “It was kind of in his blood.”

Within two decades, his berries were shipped nationwide. Although he was best known for his raspberries, Richter also grew blackberries, tayberries, golden raspberries, currants, gooseberries, rhubarb and nectarberries. His berries are known for their sweetness, large size and quality, and consumers often request his fruits by name. His sales grossed more than $1 million every year.

“All of our berries here are handpicked and shipped throughout the country,” Pavola said. “They’re picked one day and shipped the same day so they’re fresh throughout the United States.”

Richter’s fruits were sold at high-end stores, such as Metropolitan Market and Whole Foods, and were often recognized as some of the best berries in the country. His berries were cited in publications nationwide, including The New York Times.

“He was always innovative and he probably got better prices for his berries than anybody,” said Jim Davis of Fife Commercial Bank, who said Richter was one of his first clients when he began in Fife 28 years ago. “The berries were unbelievably high quality. If they were in any way compromised, he would throw them away. They were the very best.”

For those who knew Richter, though, he was more than just one of the nation’s best berry farmers.

“He was a wonderful employer. He was the type of person who wasn’t just your boss, but became like your father,” Pavola said. “My kids called him Grandpa. He was wonderful. I could not ask for a better boss.”

When Richter was diagnosed with his illness Jan. 31, Pavola began a journal to record others’ thoughts.

“One of the things that was said about him by pretty much everybody was what an undeniable gentleman George was, and no matter how long you’ve known him he makes you feel like part of the family,” she said. “He always had a twinkle in his eye. He lived his life with dignity and instilled others with good work ethics.”

Davis recalled Richter as one willing to take a little risk.

“When you’re a farmer, your risk is every single day,” he said. “He was just a wonderful person.”

Richter’s family is seeking someone to purchase the farm, but in the meantime, workers continue to cultivate this year’s crop.

“That was his request, that we bring the crop in,” Pavola said. “He gave me confidence and he gave me a wonderful job and a grandpa for my kids. Giving a little bit of my life for him is no big deal – he deserves it.”

Richter leaves behind his wife and her three children, a son and daughter from his first marriage, and a sister.

“He will be greatly missed by all who knew him,” Pavola said. “The valley will never be the same.”

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