Obituary of Richard Lachmann

September 19, 2021

Richard William Lachmann, age 65, of New York, NY, died in the early morning of September 19, 2021 of a heart attack. He was born on May 17, 1956 in New York City, the oldest son of Karl Lachmann and Lotte (Becker) Lachmann, who fled the Nazi regime in their native Germany. Richard grew up in Queens and graduated from the United Nations International School in 1974. He then attended Princeton University, where he skipped a year and graduated in 1977 majoring in sociology and European Cultural Studies. There, he met the love of his life, Arlyn Miller, and the two of them moved to Madison, Wisconsin after their wedding in 1983, the same year he received his Ph.D. in sociology at Harvard University.

Richard was an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin—Madison from 1983 to 1990 and then professor at the University at Albany, State University of New York from then until his death. The author of multiple award-winning books and articles, he mentored students and young sociologists all over the world, teaching courses and workshops in Portugal, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and China. His books have been translated into nearly a dozen languages.

Richard had many extracurricular interests. With Arlyn, he traveled throughout the world, enjoyed the cuisines he encountered there, and wrote reviews for travel blogs. He was a regular at independent film showings and off-Broadway theater when he moved full-time to New York City in 2015. Arlyn, an author of books for young readers, chronicled on her blog his decision to move to the city of his birth. His greatest pride, though, was his two children, and he appreciated working in a profession that allowed him to play an active role in their lives and more recently in the lives of his grandchildren.

Richard is survived by his spouse, Arlyn Miller-Lachmann; his children Derrick and Madeleine Lachmann and Derrick's spouse Lindsey (Steck) Lachmann; his twin grandchildren, Jonah and Reed Lachmann; his mother Lotte (Becker) Lachmann; his aunt, Ruth Becker; and his brother, David Lachmann. He was predeceased by his father, Karl Lachmann, and his sister, Susan Lachmann.

Funeral services will be held at Greenwich Village Funeral Home at 10 am on September 23, 2021. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to City Harvest or the New York Public Library.

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