Richard Lentz was born in San Luis Obispo, California, in 1949, and grew up in Halcyon. After graduating from high school in 1966, Richard attended the University of California, Berkeley. He earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1970, then continued at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo to earn a Teaching Credential in 1971. He moved to Fresno and earned a Master of Arts degree in Special Education from CSU Fresno in 1979.

During the first 20 years of his career he was a teacher and administrator of Special Education, and a School Principal at the K-8 levels. For several years he was active with the California School Leadership Academy and provided training and coaching for school leaders. During the second half of his career Richard held leadership positions in two school districts in Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties. 

From summer 2003 through summer 2005 Richard undertook graduate studies at the University of Washington, Seattle. Returning to California he provided consultation and support for school reform in San Mateo County. He earned his Doctor of Education Degree in December, 2007. He served as Assistant Superintendent for Eureka City Schools from 2009 to 2013, then moved to the Sacramento region in 2015 to be close to his three grown children and six grandchildren.

Much of Richard’s creative energy and time during retirement has been devoted to writing about his family. The first product is Lentz-Stenquist Family History Part One: 1867-1937 Coming to Halcyon. In this work he chronicles the lives of his ancestors coming to America from Sweden and Germany. His next book, Lentz Family Camping in Pictures, was written for (and to) his grandchildren. It spans the years 1984 to 2000, when his three children were growing up. His latest book is a memoir of his backpacking experiences: Two Decades of Backpacking: 1969-1990. This book contains some of the best outdoor photos in his collection, with details of each hike’s routes, trails, and campsites.

Finally, Richard completed writing and editing A World Apart, which was initiated during the first years of the pandemic. His work entailed reading hundreds of letters written by his mother and father to each other, from 1937-1940.