Richard Puppione
Feb. 27, 1946-Dec. 26, 2025
Castro Valley, California

Richard Puppione, who spent 30 years (1977-2007) as a teacher and administrator in the Pleasanton Unified School District, passed away peacefully in Castro Valley on December 26, 2025, with his wife Cindy and children Chris, Jenny, and Bobby at his side.

A generous, optimistic, and fun-loving person, Rich believed that “Family Comes First,” and he expanded his definition of family to include many of the people with whom he interacted daily.

Rich was a born educator, guided by his quest to ensure that every student was improving and that every student succeeded. During his 36 year career in education, Rich impacted the lives of students as a teacher at Moreau and Bishop O’Dowd High Schools, and in the Pleasanton Unified School District, serving as teacher and vice principal at Harvest Park Middle School, principal of Village High School, and Senior Director of Pupil Services. He was instrumental in developing the Character Education program for the district, and he chaired numerous accreditation teams for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, always working to ensure that student achievement was the priority. After he retired in 2007, Rich continued to evaluate schools for WASC at least twice/year.

In addition to his volunteer commitment to WASC, Rich spent his retirement becoming more involved in Oakland’s Colombo Club, where he served two terms as president and was also Chairman of the Board, chair of the Scholarship Committee, and club historian. He wrote and had published two books on the history of the Colombo Club.

Rich is survived by his wife Cindy; children Chris (Dee), Jenny (Matt Lillard), and Bobby (Manya); grandchildren Ariya and Soren Puppione, Kendall and Austin Harris, and Katelyn Lillard; brother Don (Phoebe), sisters-in-law Linda Puppione and Alice Shands, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Tags: teacher/educator