Richard B. Abramson, a longtime resident of Salinas, passed away peacefully at 7:57 a.m. Friday, May 15, 2015, surrounded by his loving and devoted family. Richard waged a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer for the last year and a half. He was a man of great determination, perseverance, and a strong will to live life fully. He has been an active member of the Salinas community, respected and beloved by all who knew him because of his kindness, concern for others, his integrity, intelligence, and his sense of humor.Richard was born Aug. 26, 1942 in Chicago, IL, and moved to Salinas with his family in 1948. He attended local schools and graduated from Salinas High in 1960, where he served as student body president. He obtained his undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley as part of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity, and his law degree from Boalt Law School. He worked in Washington, D.C. before moving back to Salinas to practice law for the next 48 years. His work was one of the great passions of his life, and his relationships with colleagues and clients, profoundly meaningful to him. Richard was a sports enthusiast his entire life and an avid tennis player. He played collegiate tennis at UC Berkeley, where he competed with Arthur Ashe, and in his later years, placed first in Northern California with his doubles partner, Rudy Perez. He played regularly at Chamisal Tennis Club in Corral de Tierra, and once won a friendly tennis match against Billie Jean King.Richard was also involved with, and assumed a leadership role in, many community organizations, including Temple Beth El, the YMCA, Meals on Wheels, the Boys and Girls Club, the Chamber of Commerce, and United Way. The greatest joy of Richard's life was spending time with his children, Rachel, Jacob, and Isaac, and his grandson, Jayden, as well as his extended family and treasured friends. Richard is survived by his children, Rachel Abramson, Jacob (Jenna) Abramson, Isaac Abramson; grandson, Jayden; sisters, Nancy (Arnold) Myers, Joan (Stan) Abrams, Alice (Joel) Steinfeld; cousin, Marie Mintz, and numerous nieces and nephews. Services will be held at 9:00 a.m. Sunday, May 17, 2015, at Temple Beth El, 1212 Riker St., Salinas, CA 93901.Burial will follow at Garden of Memories Cemetery, 850 Abbott St., Salinas, CA 93901.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Temple Beth El in Salinas, the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) in Monterey County, and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (pancan.org). Funeral arrangements by Struve and Laporte Funeral Home. Online condolences to www.struveandlaporte.comPublished in The Salinas Californian on May 16, 2015