Richard Worden Pew, 92, of Elyria, Ohio, formerly of Belmont, passed away peacefully on Oct. 2, 2025.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 66 years, Elizabeth (Sue) Westin Pew; daughter, Elizabeth (Betsy) and her husband Richard Karban; sons, Douglas (Deirdre) Pew and Gordon (Kerry) Pew; eight grandchildren—Richard, Elyssa, Nora, Ainsley, Charlotte, Heather (Sean), Tyler (Monica), and Ashley—and two great-grandchildren, Azalea and Harrison, three nieces, Stacy Pew Morris, Joyce Baldwin, Jeanne Papini and nephew, Jeffrey Westin. He was preceded in death by his parents, Paul Brown and Elizabeth Green Pew, his brother, John Marlin Pew, nephew, Grant Marlin Pew, a niece Jill Westin, and brother-in-law, Jack Westin.
A Cornell-educated engineer and Olympic épée fencer, Richard served in the U.S. Air Force before earning his master’s degree in experimental psychology from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Michigan. His distinguished career in human factors engineering and psychology spanned six decades, including a professorship at the University of Michigan and a role as principal scientist at Bolt Beranek and Newman (BBN Technologies). He was a past president of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, the inaugural chair of the National Research Council Committee on Human Factors, and a longtime director of the University of Michigan Summer Conference on Human Factors Engineering.
Richard was an avid cyclist, bridge player, and devoted fan of Michigan football, and additionally continued to enjoy watching the Olympics. He most cherished his church and summers on Martha’s Vineyard with family and friends.
A memorial service will be held Friday, Oct. 17, at 11 a.m. at Plymouth Congregational Church in Belmont, followed by burial at Highland Meadow Cemetery.
Arrangements are entrusted to Short, Williamson & Diamond Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Mount Auburn Hospital for funds to care for the Patricia and Herbert Pratt Family Healing Garden in Cambridge.
