Richard C. Datin Jr. passed on Jan. 24, 2011, in Reno. He was born in Syracuse, N.Y, on Oct. 10, 1929, to Mary and Richard C. Datin Sr.
He was a graduate of New York Institute of Applied Arts & Sciences. In the 1960s he moved to Hollywood, Calif., to pursue his career in scale modeling. Some of his early work included The Enterprise for the original "Star Trek," now on display at The Smithsonian, as well as the models for "Petticoat Junction." He continued in model making for many productions until the mid 1970s when he moved to Nevada to work for the Nevada Historical Society as a researcher, and a brief time at University of Nevada, Reno Special Collections. In 1979 he was selected as the founding curator of the Nevada State Railroad Museum as well as writing weekly articles for the Carson City Nevada Appeal, a history of Virginia City's International Hotel, and a pictorial of Reno's past.
He is survived by his children Merrie of Wadesboro, N.C., Noël of Shelton, Wash., Richard of Long Beach, Calif., Charles of Malibu, Calif., Lisa of Solvang, Calif., and his current loving wife Marguerite and her three children, Linda, Suzanne and Steven.
He will be buried in Navoo, Ill.
Please send any remembrances to Marge and Noël Datin McDonald at noelmcgarden@msn.com.
