Richard Marold, longtime magazine editor and historical re-enactor, dies at 88
As a former calligrapher, umpire, minister, hospital administrator, writer, editor and historian, Richard Marold led such a varied life that he drew comparisons to a beloved fictional character.
“His daughter dubbed him ‘Forrest Gump,’” said Terry Fabian, Marold’s wife of 30 years. “He was at one of Martin Luther King’s speeches. He was at JFK’s inauguration. He had such a rich life.”
Marold, a Colorado Springs native and 2023 inductee into the Cheyenne Mountain School District Hall of Fame, died Dec. 24 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 88.
Richard Marold as Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Although he was a star baseball pitcher who once threw a no-hitter for Cheyenne Mountain High School and the longtime editor of the Cheyenne Mountain Kiva, Marold was perhaps best known for his work as a Chataquian — a performer who portrayed historical figures. His favorites, according to Fabian, were former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, inventor Nicola Tesla and 19th century prospector/philanthropist Winfield Scott Stratton.
A devoted student of history, Marold would immerse himself in the lives of the figures he portrayed, spending hundreds of hours learning everything he could about the person, Fabian said.
“When he decided to take on Roosevelt, he sat on our couch for four hours every night, for two years, and memorized everything he could about FDR,” Fabian said. “And he might have known more about Stratton than anyone in the world.”
Marold portrayed Stratton and Roosevelt for more than 20 years, making appearances at venues including the Pioneers Museum and Evergreen Cemetery, where Stratton is buried.
“Enjoyed Richard as Stratton several years ago at the Cripple Creek District Museum,” Margie King posted on social media. “Who will fill his shoes now?”
Dianne Hartshorn, director of Evergreen Heritage, remembers Marold as a masterful re-enactor who was dedicated to his craft.
Richard Marold as Winfield Scott Stratton.
“I went to see his presentation of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and it felt like I was actually sitting in an audience with FDR,” Hartshorn said. “He even took acting classes at UCCS to better perfect his presentation of Stratton.”
“I don’t know a better storyteller than Richard Marold,” said Leah Davis Witherow, history curator for the Pioneers Museum. “There seemed to be no limit to his intellect, his curiosity, and his passion for history. I’ve never met anyone quite like him.”
Marold continued his historical presentations even when his health began to fail, friends and relatives said.
“Even when his health should have kept him at home, he did whatever he could,” Hartshorn said.
Marold was preceded in death by his brothers David and Louis, as well as his daughter, Kristen, who died in 2019 at age 44.
“(Kristen) contracted bacterial meningitis that left her legally blind and partially paralyzed,” Fabian said. “Richard loved her so much. He was so committed to both his daughters.”
“He loved his children, and he loved his family,” Hartshorn said. “He was a class act, a true historian and a part of the community that cannot be replaced.”
Witherow said Marold’s passing leaves a hole in the fabric of the Colorado Springs community.
“He loved everything about Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region,” she said. “He was a true Renaissance man, and a gift to all who knew him. I can’t imagine Colorado Springs without Richard Marold.”
He is survived by his wife, his daughter Karen Callahan, his grandson Murphy, brother Ronald and a host of friends and family members. The family will hold a memorial service in the summer, Fabian said.
“It will be more of a celebration than a memorial,” Fabian said. “Richard always wanted a party, so we’re going to give him one.”
Richard Marold, longtime magazine editor and historian, died on Christmas Eve after a long illness. He was 88.