Dick Littlefield died July 27, 2024 at the age of 83. Dick was born in Boston and raised in Cambridge He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
After a short tenure in the human resource arena, he moved into academia in the field of counseling and student personnel first at SUNY, Oswego and then at the University of Delaware.
In 1976 he married Liz Moser and they settled in New Hampshire. Always a collector with a sharp eye for bargains, Dick founded Littlefield Antiques and became very knowledgeable in the field of antique firearms.
Though he always enjoyed the search for rare or unusual pieces, his true self was most apparent as an educator and mentor. Widely known as an expert in antique American gun manufacturing, he answered all questions asked of him with patience, humor and clarity.
An inveterate traveler, Dick was known to put 50,000 miles per year on his minivan, attending trade shows, exploring back roads and visiting friends all over the US.
After 40 years of research, he co-authored the book Frank Wesson, Gunmaker, the definitive work on the subject.
Dick Littlefield made his mark on the collecting community. He was a Life member and member for 50 years.