Richard L. Brower of Blackwood & Brouwer Booksellers in Kinderhook, N.Y. died on December 3 at the age of 83. After retiring from Irving Trust Company in Manhattan as a commercial loan officer in 1989, Brower (who went by Dick), worked with his wife and daughter at the bookstore, which closed in the summer, for over 20 years.
"His staff picks had perfect pitch," wrote his daughter, Rondi Brower. "If you liked one book that Dad liked, you almost always liked other books that Dad liked. Customers would come in and request a “Dick’s Pick”, often not even knowing or caring what the book was about before they bought it…Like all good independent booksellers, he was discovering new authors until the end."
