Richard Legg

If you ask questions, you will learn things. 

Whether applied to field biology, teaching, painting, music, running, cycling, or meeting new people, this was Rich’s life attitude. The support system for his very large life was his wife Marge and the family they built together. 

Rich’s early years were spent in a Polish neighborhood in Brooklyn with parents George and Helen (Mozejko) Legg, and his two younger brothers, Philip and Thomas. His horizons quickly expanded through riding the subway, visiting the American Museum of Natural History, working at the New York Botanical Garden, and following the amazing NY Mets from their first games in 1962. His formal education at St. Francis Prep (Go Terriers!) led him to Fordham University, where he met Marge Harvey, the love of his life. They were married in August of 1972 and promptly left for a place foreign to both of them, College Station, TX, home of Texas A&M University (Gig’em Aggies!). There Rich earned his PhD in biology and Marge hers in chemistry. 

In 1978, their small family that now included daughter Jessica moved to another very different place, Iowa, where son Jason was born. Rich taught biology at St. Ambrose University in Davenport for 33 years, meeting hundreds of favorite students and making many good friends among his colleagues. During those years the family visited the desert southwest, especially the national parks of the four corners, St. George Island, Florida, the British Isles, Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands, and many other places of natural beauty and interest. 

Rich enjoyed picking up his granddaughters from school, making all the bread and rolls for the family, walks in Scott County Park, painting, playing cello, reading, and volunteering at Riverbend Food Bank. A new passion for him in the last months of his life was poetry. When he discovered a new favorite poet, he would collect all their books (mostly used copies), and in the spirit of asking questions, he also read books about understanding poetry and how to write it. 

Rich’s survivors include his wife of 52 years, Marge, Joan Trapp, daughter Jessica and Matt Halfhill of Bettendorf, son Jason and Jun Yang of Simi Valley, CA, much-loved grandchildren, Willa and Sylvie Halfhill and Zephrine and Rory Legg, and brother Tom and his wife Cindy of Canandaigua, NY, and also devoted companion Gordon Setter Quip. 

During his prostate cancer treatments, Rich made a point of learning the names of all his caregivers and when possible, something about their lives and interests. He wore a smile to every appointment and often said something funny to ease the stress for everyone. 

A biologist and teacher to the end, Rich made arrangements to leave his body to the University of Iowa College Medicine Deeded Body Program. Along with Marge and Joan, Rich recently made a matching grant to Riverbend Food Bank of Davenport. Memorials may be made to Riverbend or another community cause.