Richard D. Munoz, 69; worked in financial field

Richard D. Munoz of Philadelphia died Friday, May 29, in a motorcycle accident on I-95 in Philadelphia, just shy of his 70th birthday.

It was Mr. Munoz's wish that no funeral or viewing be held. Instead, he asked for a party. "He thought those things were very depressing," his wife, Gail Howard, explained. "He didn't want to do that to his friends and family."

To those who knew him, the request came as no surprise. Ms. Howard called her husband "somebody who was a little bit irreverent in a way that people always enjoyed," she said. Daughter Priscilla added that her father had "a very healthy skepticism for the conventional."

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on June 8, 1945, Mr. Munoz graduated from high school in Leominster, Mass., before earning an undergraduate degree at Yale University and an M.B.A. at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. Mr. Munoz also served in the Vietnam War.

He went on to a 30-year career in banking and insurance with Cigna, Chubb Insurance, and RISQ Consulting Services. His wife said that he enjoyed market research, and had an interest in learning people's needs and developing products to meet them. At the time of his death, he had been retired for 10 years.

Outside his work, Mr. Munoz was known as a loyal friend. "My dad was a very kind and good-natured person," said daughter Sarah. "If he could help somebody out, he would. He was a very social person."

Another of Mr. Munoz's daughters, Madeline Marinkovic, described him as a "compassionate" man "who everybody would always love to share a meal with." She said that he encouraged patience and human understanding.

Priscilla Munoz also emphasized her father's patience, and said that he encouraged his children to be independent and responsible - but most important, to be themselves.

Mr. Munoz enjoyed spending time outdoors, and had a passion for animals. He also loved riding his motorcycle, and while that ultimately led to his death, Sarah Munoz said, "my dad passed away in a way that he would want to go."

In addition to his wife and daughters, Mr. Munoz is survived by a son, Alexander, and a sister.

Contributions in his memory can be made to the ASPCA or a local animal rescue agency.