Richard Storey

Richard D. Storey, Ph.D., passed away peacefully on September 17, 2026, in Dillon, Montana. Dick, as he was known, served as chancellor of the University of Montana Western (UMW) from 2004 to 2014. The fall of 2004 was the first year of Experience One—block scheduling. Under his leadership, the university thrived and earned the reputation for educational excellence.
Enrollment of good-fit students increased, improved student success was widespread, and the campus attracted a number of excellent new faculty. UMW became the poster child of the Montana University system, and the associated students of the university system named Dick an outstanding administrator and friend of students in 2012.
Dick was born in Roswell, NM, on December 2, 1944, to Walter and Frances Storey. He was an excellent student and excelled in athletics from elementary through Roswell High School (RHS). He was the youngest member of the 1956 Little League World Champions from Roswell. He was point guard on the 1963 RHS state champion basketball team and was named all-state.
He also was the leading hitter on the RHS baseball team in his junior and senior year and named all-state in 1962 & 1963. Dick was an honor graduate from RHS and won a baseball scholarship to play D1 baseball at the University of New Mexico, where he led the Lobos in hitting. He also had an academic scholarship. The baseball team played in the same conference as ASU and UA, which won several national championships. Dick was the star of the UNM team and named all-conference for 2 years. After graduation from UNM, he took a teaching position at Manzano High School in Albuquerque. He taught biology and coached baseball and basketball. The basketball team won the state championship in 1973, ten years after his RHS team did the same. The National Science Foundation (NSF) ran a summer program that paid expenses and a stipend for high school biology teachers to earn a master’s degree. Dick chose the University of Oklahoma (OU) as they had an excellent reputation for this program that enrolled about 25 outstanding biology teachers from around the country. He began in the summer of 1970 and earned his master’s degree in 1973. In the fall of 1973, he was awarded a full scholarship and a teaching assistantship at OU, earning his Ph.D. in plant biochemistry and physiology in 1977, and did postdoctoral research at the Kettering Research Lab in Ohio from 1977- 78. In 1978, he joined the faculty at the distinguished Colorado College (CC), where he taught biology and conducted research that led to over 35 peer-reviewed scientific papers in world-renowned journals. In 1999, he was named dean of the college at CC. In 1971, while in a biochemistry lab at OU, he met Martha Willsie. They married that fall and were together for over 54 years. She was a med-tech student at OU and moved to Albuquerque for her residency and to be with Dick. Together, they shared an amazing life filled with love, laughter, and countless cherished memories. They were blessed with a son, Justin, and a daughter, Beth. In 2012, their family grew once again with the arrival of their grandson, Wyatt, who brought them immeasurable joy. They treasured their time together camping, cheering on OU sports, and fly fishing In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Dick’s memory to the Experience One Campaign at the UMW Foundation.
Dick would not want people to gather in sadness, but to celebrate life in a way that was
meaningful to him. Instead of coming to a traditional service, he would ask that you spend the day with the people you love, find your favorite river or lake, and make a few memories together. Raise a glass, tell a story, laugh a little, and enjoy the beauty of the water. Most of all, cherish the time you have with the people who mean the most to you. That is how Dick would want to be remembered.