Richard (Rick) Cuddihy passed away on February 27th, 2026 at the age of 61.

Rick was born January 21st, 1965, in Rochester, New York to Roberta (Phillips) and Richard G. Cuddihy. While he was still young, his family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he grew up. The oldest of 6 children, he was a loving mentor (and occasional menace) to his siblings. Among the many things he passed on to his siblings was his paper route which stayed in the family for many years. Rick graduated from St. Pius High School in 1983.

He attended the University of Washington and quickly fell in love with the landscape of the Pacific Northwest. While in college he met his soulmate Cecile Julian, and they eventually married in 1990 after enduring a three-year long-distance relationship. The couple enjoyed exploring the outdoors together, including a tandem bike journey through Ireland, and later traveling with their family. They especially loved spending time at the Oregon Coast, and visiting relatives in Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico.

Rick returned to the East Coast to attain his medical degree from SUNY Buffalo, in 1991. This also allowed him to spend time nearer to his grandparents, John and Josephine Phillips along with Vince and Hazel Cuddihy, who left lasting impacts on his life through their love, words of wisdom, and occasional superstitions. He completed his residency at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, then returned to Washington to join Yakima Pediatric Associates. Rick’s time at YPA was instrumental in forming his skills and approach to being a family-focused pediatrician.

Rick was an avid cyclist and his favorite rides included long climbs up mountain roads with the Chinook Cycling Club. He was also a coffee enthusiast and loved spending weekend mornings making cappuccinos for his family and friends.

A devoted father, Rick found great joy in his children, Nicole and Brendan, going to hours of soccer games, band, and theatre performances. Although both children moved abroad as adults, family FaceTime calls multiple nights a week kept the family close.

Rick worked for 30 years as a pediatrician, and approached his job with exceptional care and patience. He was a conscientious physician throughout his career, and always tried to make every patient, family, and member of his practice feel listened to and appreciated. His dedication was well-rounded by his bright outlook and sense of humor. After working at Yakima Pediatrics Associates, he developed the Pediatric department at Bend Memorial Clinic in Bend, Oregon. Later in his career, he worked at the Polyclinic and finally Richmond Pediatrics, both located in Seattle.

Rick was diagnosed with a rare form of Sarcoma in 2015, which eventually led Cecile and him to relocate to Seattle in 2020. Despite facing many difficult prognoses through the past 11 years, Rick was relentless to try any treatment or procedure in order to extend his life and time with his loved ones.

Even on his toughest days, his positive outlook and forward-thinking mindset brought strength to those around him. He loved sitting together, listening to his vinyl collection, and sharing good conversation. Rick was exceptionally extroverted and loved meeting new people. He was always quick to exchange a greeting or compliment with anyone he met. Even as a patient himself, Rick always did his best to convey his appreciation to the nurses, doctors, and medical staff.

Rick will be immensely missed, but it’s impossible to think of him without a smile, for his optimism overcame every hurdle he faced. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, his children, Nicole (Harry Hughes) and Brendan (Anna Shishmanov), his parents, his siblings Debbie (Nate) Cuddihy-Garner, Juile (Frank) Timm, and Meghan (Shay) Cuddihy Townsend, and his niece and numerous nephews. He is preceded in death by his dear siblings Karen and Sean Cuddihy.

We hope you are reminded of him next time you hear a great jazz song or enjoy a good coffee.

Rick’s family would like to especially thank Dr. Edward Kim and the Radiation Oncology Department at the University of Washington Medical Center and the Sarcoma Department at Fred Hutch Cancer Center.

Donations in Rick’s name can be made to Fred Hutch Cancer Center.