Richard Frisk, Top Machinist Who Was Everybody's Friend

Everybody thought they were Richard Duane Frisk's best friend. That's because they were Mr. Frisk's best friend, including colleagues and clients at his Advanced Designs machining company in Lynnwood.

That's where he indulged his passion for creating mathematically precise products, from wheel assemblies for security gates, to airplane parts and machine-cooling devices for Boeing.

"Richard was very family-oriented all his life," said his sister Geraldine Reed of New Orleans. "He was a typical middle child, and everybody loved him.

"That's the way he was as a businessman. He spent his first few years in business undercutting competitors so people would come to him."

Neighbors and church buddies also were friends. They spent a lot of time together, played practical jokes and enjoyed a "Baby Pinochle Night" each New Year's Eve.

"That started when friends in the neighborhood were having babies around the same time and wanted to stay home with their families on New Year's Eve. . . . Richard's life revolved around work, church and family."

Mr. Frisk died Friday (Dec. 18) of cancer. He was 37.

Born in Denver, he moved to the Seattle area with his family and graduated from Bothell High School, where his favorite subject was math.

He completed a two-year course in machinist's studies in Renton, then found work with several companies.

In 1988 he founded Advanced Manufacturing in Ballard. He eventually moved it to Lynnwood and changed its name to Advanced Designs because he didn't want to be known only as a manufacturer.

"He was always coming up with ideas," said Reed. "He was brainy. He didn't bother getting patents, though. He was just interested in designing and problem-solving."

She said his design of wheels for rolling security gates was popular with clients whose gates tended to jump their tracks or deteriorate in bad weather.

His bearings were sealed, packed extra-tight and made of a hard plasticlike material that, unlike steel bearings, was impervious to rust. He also did subcontracting work for Boeing.

Mr. Frisk delighted in nature. Before finding work as a machinist he was a groundskeeper for the Lynnwood and Redmond Group Health clinics.

"He talked over and over again how he loved watching the trees change with the seasons," said Reed.

The man whose friends called him "RiffRaff" also took pride in having achieved last year the position of worshipful master with Green Lake Lodge 149 of Free and Accepted Masons of Washington.

Other survivors include Mr. Frisk's wife of 10 years, Kathleen Frisk, and children Riley, Jerrad and Brittany Frisk, all of Lynnwood; his mother and stepfather, Westa and Ray Harris of Bothell; his father, Gerald Frisk of Livingston, Mont.; his sister Debra McArthur, Puyallup; his brother, James Frisk of Billings, Mont.; and a great-great-grandmother, Westa Sanderson of Detroit.

Services were to be at noon today at Alderwood Manor Community Church, 3403 Alderwood Mall Blvd., Lynnwood.

Remembrances may go to the church Memorial Fund (ZIP code 98037) or to the Lymphoma Research Foundation of America, 8800 Venice Blvd., Suite 207, Los Angeles, CA 90034.

Carole Beers' phone message number is 206-464-2391. Her e-mail address is: cbeers@seattletimes.com