NEWS

Richard Carl “Dick, Remo” Riemenschneider, a respected Loudoun County, Virginia, attorney, avid hunter and lifelong polo player, father, grandfather and friend, died September 23, 2022, at his home in Bluemont, Virginia.

Remo was born November 30, 1936, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Mildred Oberst and Carl Riemenschneider, and grew up in Sherwood, Wisconsin. He attended the University of Virginia, where he earned a B.S. from the McIntire School of Commerce. He attended the University of Virginia School of Law, graduating in 1964. While at The University, he was a member, and later president, of the Chi Psi fraternity, a member of the intra-fraternity counsel, a member of the ribbon society, an Eli Banana and a member of the Lawn Society.

After graduating from law school in 1964, he began his law career at the law firms of Weaver, diZerega & Major, and later formed his own firm with partners, George Martin and Thomas Murtaugh. In 1976, he became a sole practitioner at 16 Wirt Street. He served as President of the Loudoun County Bar Association, served on the Board of Directors for the Virginia State Bar (Representative of the 20th Judicial Circuit Court), on the board of Leesburg-based Jefferson Savings & Loan Association, and as Director of the Marshall National Bank, Marshall, Virginia, and on its Trust and Audit Committees. A man deeply involved in the Town of Leesburg, Dick was a fixture at Leesburg Restaurant’s "lunch table," joining his many friends and peers where dice are rolled for a free lunch and debates held on town, county and state issues.

Remo’s lifelong love of polo began when, as a child, he worked at Joy Farm. His passion for the sport continued at UVA, where he was a team captain, president and the intercollegiate most valuable player. In the summer of 1958, he played on an American all-star team that competed in England for six weeks. In 2016, he received one of polo’s highest honors and was inducted into the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame for being recognized with the Iglehart Award.

He held numerous executive positions with the USPA, including, President, Chairman, Executive Vice President, Circuit Handicap Chairman, Governor, Tournament Committee Chairman, Treasurer. He was a founder of the University of Virginia Polo Center (1965) in Charlottesville, Virginia, and served on Virginia Polo’s Board of Directors from 1965 until the time of his death. He also served as Chairman of the Virginia Polo Endowment Fund. In 2021, he was the first recipient of Virginia Polo's Cavalier Award, honoring his leadership and dedication to Virginia Polo. In 2021, he was also awarded the Distinguished Benefactor Award, which recognizes an individual, couple or family whose exemplary support has enabled the PTF to better fulfill its mission.

Remo was heavily involved with the Polo Training Foundation as well, formerly serving as the Chairman and a long-time supporter of the organization in general. He was an integral part of the PTF family for 40 years. He began attending the annual meeting as a guest in the late 1970s and was elected to the Board in 1984. He held the position of Vice President in the mid 1980s and then as Chairman from 2014 through 2021. He continued to serve as a Board member until his death.

In additional to all of the many positions Remo held in polo organizations, he also served on the following establishments: Trustee for the Foxcroft School (Middleburg, Virginia) and as a member of the Board for The Hill School (Middleburg, Virginia) and the Piedmont Fox Hounds (Upperville, Virginia). Finally, he was a long-standing member of the Catoctin Farmers’ Club (Leesburg, Virginia), one of the oldest Farmer’s Club in the country.

He is survived by his loving wife, Andrea, his four children: Robin Burge (Richard), Polly Gardiner, John Van Sant (Elizabeth), and was predeceased by his daughter, Stephanie Van Sant Auen. He has 10 loving grandchildren who adored him, and with whom he has shared his passion for hunting dogs and horses. He spent many evenings on his porch regaling them with his stories and life lessons.

A service was held on Monday, October 3 to celebrate his life. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to: The Polo Training Foundation, 852 E. Road, Loxahatchee Groves, FL 33470. A generous matching donation of up to $50,000 in memory of Remo has been made by PTF Chairman Melissa Ganzi and PTF Vice President Gill Johnston.