RICHARD EMMETT HAGE (Age 89)
Richard Emmett Hage, community leader and social justice activist, died peacefully on October 30, 2019. He was 89.
Richard will be remembered as a loving and devoted husband and adventurous father of twelve children. A dedicated public servant, he was a man of great integrity and humility, a quiet leader who lived according to his principles and put his spirituality into practice, fighting for racial justice, affordable housing, an end to gun violence, shelter for the homeless, job creation, and economic opportunity.
Richard is survived by his wife and co-adventurer of 67 years, Kathleen (Sweetser) Hage, and their children Cecilia Hage (Lane Elson) of Clinton MD; Stephen Hage (Catherine Faint) of Takoma Park, MD; Margaret Meleney (Calvin) of Rockville, MD; Theresa York (Kevin) of Chesapeake Beach, MD; Peter Hage (Carol Cadby) of Arlington, VA; Mary Agnes Huisentruit (Charlie) of Silver Spring, MD; Joseph Hage (Mary Kearney) of Bethesda, MD; John Hage (Consuelo Fuenzalida-Hage) of Frederick, MD; Rachel Spangenberg (Scott) of Silver Spring, MD; Lucy DuPont (Michael) of Auburn, CA; Kristin Beise (John) of Mound, MN; Emily Hage (Jules Dingle) of Philadelphia, PA. He is also survived by 25 grandchildren and 1 great grandson, many nieces and nephews, brother-in-law, Rev. Thomas Sweetser, SJ, and sister-in-law Katherine (Kate) Hage.
Richard Emmett was preceded in death by his parents, Orville M. Hage and Emma Poshek Hage, and brothers Alan (Chub) Hage and Oliver (Ole) Hage.
Richard grew up in Minneapolis, graduated from Washburn High School and received his bachelor’s degree from the College of St. Thomas. After serving in the U.S. Naval Reserve, he began his career as a partner at Hage Construction Company, where he was responsible for home building. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Administration (now Hubert Humphrey School of Public Affairs), becoming a self-described “Social Justice Catholic” working throughout his career in economic development programs at the city, state and national levels.
After running for Council of the City of Minneapolis, he served as a building inspector in Edina, MN, as a Codes and Neighborhood Rehabilitation Specialist at the U.S. Urban Renewal Administration, HHFA (now HUD) in the Chicago Regional Office, a Codes Specialist and Urban Renewal Coordinator for the State of Kentucky, and as Assistant to the Mayor for Development for the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County in Tennessee.
Richard was fascinated by how cities work and excited to be on the cusp of new ideas for urban design. Coming to Washington, D.C. in 1967, he worked with cities across the nation, focusing chiefly on the Model Cities Program, an anti-poverty initiative of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), first as Associate Director for Community Development of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials and later Chief of Urban Development for a joint program of the National League of Cities and U.S. Conference of Mayors.
In 1974 Richard joined the Urban Programs Division of the Economic Development Administration (EDA) at the U.S. Department of Commerce. During his time there, he worked with national public interest groups in fostering economic development in distressed urban areas, traveling frequently to cities across the U.S. He retired as the head of technical assistance and research at EDA in 1995. In 1979, he co-founded the Brookings Group, whose members gathered each month to share ideas and experiences on integrating their spirituality and principles into their professional careers.
In retirement Richard worked as a consultant for the International Executive Service Corps, sharing his knowledge of economic development with leaders in Zambia, Rwanda, Russia, Serbia, and the Republic of Georgia. He also worked as a community organizer locally, in Washington, D.C. From 1996 to 2010 he spearheaded the efforts of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament as part of the Washington Interfaith Network (WIN), a non-denominational organization, and worked in collaboration with leaders of faith-based organizations to champion social justice issues, racial equality, affordable housing, jobs, schools, youth programs, and initiatives to end homelessness and gun violence.
Richard was an avid reader and enjoyed learning new ideas every day. He enjoyed traveling with Kathleen and was constantly studying the world around him, from politics and religion to the birds outside his window, the moon rising over the ocean, and evolution. His eagerness to change with the times was fueled in part by a contagious love of history. He researched D.C.’s history, including the life of Alexander “Boss” Shepherd, whose carriage house in Shepherd Park, D.C., constructed in 1868, he marked with a commemorative plaque. He was a member of the Association of Oldest Inhabitants of D.C. He published “Cribbage in the Dugout,” a compilation of WWI diary entries and letters written by his father-in-law, a medical doctor serving on the front lines. He conducted extensive research on his ancestry and that of his wife Kathleen, and was particularly proud of his Norwegian heritage and the fact that he shared a birthday with George Washington.
Richard is widely respected and loved for his intellect, vision, unflagging commitment to public service and social causes, his principled yet nonjudgmental nature, his recognition of the importance of ritual and celebrations, and his witty sense of humor.
Relatives and friends may call at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring, MD, (Valet Parking), Tuesday, November 5, from 7 to 9 p.m. and again at Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, 5949 Western Ave. NW, Washington, DC, on Wednesday, November 6, beginning at 10 a.m. where a Catholic Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Burial: Interment Gate of Heaven Cemetery, www.COLLINSFUNERALHOME.com
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The National Fair Housing Alliance (https://nationalfairhousing.org/donate/ 202-898-1661) and/or The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (https://secure.csgv.org/page/contribute/donate-today-to-csgv 202-408-0061). Thank you.
