Richard Lareau was born in Bremerton, Washington. His family settled in Chula Vista, where he graduated from Sweetwater High School in 1945, as the war was ending. Joining the U.S. Navy, Lareau served in the Navy’s V-5 Flight Program. He then attended San Diego State College from which he transferred to U.C. Berkeley. There, he earned BA and MA degrees in architecture and served as president of the campus Architecture Association. Moving back to San Diego, he opened an office on 6th Street in 1957. Later, he opened an office on Nimitz Boulevard, where he practiced architecture for nearly four decades, while also training a number of regional architects. A long-time board member of the San Diego Air & Space Museum, Mr. Lareau has served as the major fund raiser on the Museum’s Golf Committee. He also serves as a board member for the Committee of 100.