Richard Hiers

Richard Hiers was thankful for a great life. He deeply loved his family, his friends, and his colleagues; nature and all forms of creation; music; good food; and various academic and professional pursuits. He brought to all of these passions his kind spirit, his incisively analytical mind, and his light-hearted sense of humor.

He felt particularly blessed by a full lifetime with a wonderful family. He felt doubly blessed, having been happily married for 65 years to Jane; and after her decease, for nearly 8 years to Martha. He was a kind and loving father to his son and daughter; enjoying lively discussions about all sorts of topics, and fun activities that spanned playing touch football with them when they were kids to hiking or visiting favorite places when they were adults.

He loved, and was loved by, his many friends; and enjoyed ongoing relationships with many of his colleagues and former students. Sharing meals in favorite restaurants, savoring interesting company along with good food, was a favorite pastime. He made new friends easily, but was grateful for his continuing happy associations with many childhood and early adulthood friends from Episcopal Academy, Yale University, and the University of Florida; several of whom also lived into their 90s.

In his professional life, he focused on the important role of ethics – both in religion and in law. Richard’s passion for scholarly knowledge and the key role of ethics in society inspired him to earn four degrees from Yale (B.A.; B.D. from Yale Divinity School; M.A.; and Ph.D.). He went on to teach in the University of Florida’s Religion Department, from 1961-2003, where he focused on the Bible, ethics, environmental ethics, and social ethics.

Mid-career, he decided to pursue a law degree from the University of Florida (1983), while still teaching in the Religion Department. He then went on to clerk for the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals with Judge Jerre S. Williams. After that, he taught a seminar on law, ethics, and social policy for many years at the UF Law School as an Affiliate Professor. He also was an Affiliate Professor in the UF College of Natural Resources and Environment.

He kept writing, long after retiring; pulling together a lifetime of learning that combined religious, ethical and legal perspectives on various topics that were important to him. He authored nearly five dozen professional journal articles, and more than a dozen books. His final four books focused on how Old Testament law could provide insights and guidance on contemporary ethics and social policy questions: Nature and Creation: Biblical Perspectives on Life Here on Earth (2023); A Nation of Immigrants: Sojourners in Biblical Israel’s Tradition and Law (2021); Women’s Rights and the Bible: Implications for Christian Ethics and Social Policy (2012); and Justice and Compassion in Biblical Law (2009)

After 94 good years, when it was time for Richard to leave, he exited in a quick and dignified manner (with fast-moving pancreatic cancer), maintaining his good spirits throughout. His kindness, intelligence, and wonderful sense of humor will be greatly missed! But we are thankful for all the years that we got to have with him!

He is survived by his second wife, Martha Hiers; his two children, Peter Hiers and Rebecca Hiers; and his step-daughter, Lisa Leiser-Banks (Richard). He lost his first wife, Jane Leslie Gale Hiers, in 2016. In lieu of flowers, donations to the American Civil Liberties Union, the Natural Resources Defense Council, or the Center for Biological Diversity would be appreciated.
The Family is having a celebration of life service on Sunday, October 25th from 3:00 to 4:00pm at the Baughman Chapel on the UF Campus all are welcome to attend.