Richard John Wendel, 29, unexpectedly passed away into eternal life on October 24, 2021 in San Jose, California. Rich was born on October 25, 1991 in St. Louis, Missouri. Rich spent his childhood years in Erie, Pennsylvania through 2010. He attended Villa Maria Elementary. For high school Rich attended Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy and graduated summa cum laude. He graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 2014 and earned his B.S. in Industrial Engineering. Additionally, Rich obtained a graduate certificate in data-processing from University of California at Berkeley in 2020.

After graduating from Penn State, Rich went to fulfill his lifelong dream of living in Asia. He settled in Shenzhen China and taught English to STEM students. Additionally, he taught AP Physics and AP Chemistry at an international high school. While in China, Rich visited several other Asian countries. 

Rich returned to the United States in 2017, which is when he entered into the Marine Corps. He deeply loved his country and had a strong desire to serve in the military. He had a goal of using his Engineering degree to work with logistic Engineering for the troops. After an injury, however, he left the Marines with an honorable discharge. 

After receiving that honorable discharge, Rich decided to move to California. He first settled in Los Angeles, but soon after the move, felt that the Bay area would be a better match for his goals, desires, and skill sets. He moved to San Jose where he worked at Universal Rail Equipment as a procurement specialist. He then took a job at Tesla working first in battery and powertrain production and then in a position of engineering in the quality control division. 

In October 2020, Rich got his dream job at Neuralink, a company which works on, “Developing ultra high bandwidth brain-machine interfaces to connect humans and computers” (Neuralink). His position of production engineer was to work on improving the production of a microscopic needle that could be inserted into the brain with the hopes of curing paralysis and Lou Gehrig’s disease. He achieved much success there in his field of robotics. 

He had many varied interests. He participated and enjoyed many sports such as cross country, track, ice hockey, tennis, soccer, snowboarding, basketball, martial arts, and touch football. 

Rich loved reading nonfiction, poetry, and biographies of famous individuals; from presidents to war heroes. He also enjoyed reading scientific articles and books. Lastly, Rich was astute and knowledgeable about International trade and foreign relations, especially with regards to relations between the United States and China.

Rich seemed to have a soft spot for the poor, the foreigner, the widowed, and those who suffered in any capacity. He would go out of his way to help those individuals with language and customs. Rich would donate his time to help people, drive them around and dine with them. Most who knew Rich would describe him as kind, gentle, humble, and smart. 

Rich also had a love and tenderness for all animals; especially dogs and birds. He treated all animals with respect. He loved his childhood dog, Emily very deeply. In many photos, from a young boy until adulthood, he is seen next to Emily. Rich was planning on getting a dog with his long term girlfriend, Tianna. Together, they had hopes of getting a yellow lab. 

Rich had a most inquisitive nature and never hesitated to ask questions or seek clarification on topics in which he wanted more information. From an early age, Rich excelled in all things math and science. 

He is survived by his parents Daniel and Mary Ann Wendel of Asheville, North Carolina; sister Christina Wendel of Baltimore, Maryland; sister Andrea Wendel of Asheville, North Carolina, and sister Joanna Wendel of Denver, Colorado. He is also survived by his grandmother Irene Andriole of Sarasota, Florida and niece Arianna Laughner of Asheville, North Carolina. He is survived by many aunts, uncles, and cousins. 

He is preceded in death by his grandfather (namesake) Richard Wendel, grandfather Gerald Andriole, and grandmother Roberta Wendel. 

A memorial service will be held for Richard John Wendel on December 11, 2021 at Saint Barnabas Catholic Church in Arden, North Carolina at 12 noon with a luncheon to follow. In lieu of flowers, any contributions may be made to your local Humane Society in his name.