Richard Joseph Coanda
Scientology Sea OrgAbbreviation for Sea Organization. (Modern Management Technology Defined (C) 1976). member
Born	Richard Joseph Coanda October 2, 1931 Wisconsin
Died	January 6, 2014 (aged 82) Losa Angeles, California, United States
Nationality	American
Occupation	Scientologist
Years active	1968-2014
Spouse	Lori (m. 1955-2014)
Children	Five children

Richard (Dick) Coanda, (October 2, 1931 - January 6, 2014) an educator with a PhD in English, is best remembered as ASHOAbbreviation for American Saint Hill Organization. (Modern Management Technology Defined (C) 1976).'s Saint HillThe name of LRH's home in East Grinstead, Sussex, England. (BTB 12 Apr 72R) Special Briefing Course supervisor and word clearer. He was a member of the Sea OrgAbbreviation for Sea Organization. (Modern Management Technology Defined (C) 1976). for twenty seven years and was on the RPFAbbreviation for 1. Rehabilitation Project Force. (Modern Management Technology Defined (C) 1976). The Rehabilitation Project Force has been created by the Commodore so that redemption can occur. (FO 3434) three times. Dick and Lori Coanda were married for over fifty-eight years, a novelty within the Church of Scientology.

Early Years

Richard Joseph Coanda was born October 2, 1931, to Joseph (1910-1970) and Victoria (1908-1979) Coanda.

A young Dick Coanda

South Milwaukee High

While his hometown was Cudahy, Wisconsin, Dick graduated from South Milwaukee High School, class of 1949. When Dick was eighteen years old his mother ran way from home and met a handsome tattooed man who told her he had a job and a car and owned his own home, none of which was true, as she learned after marrying him. She moved in with his parents, who lived in a Rumanian neighborhood.

Dick attended Marquette University as an English Major. In 1955 Dick married Loraine, a marriage that would last fifty-eight years. He graduated with a PhD in Literature at the University of Wisconsin. During this time period Dick was active in the Cursillo Movement in the Catholic Church and served as editor of a small Cursillo newsletter called Ultreya. He was a copyreader for the Milwaukee Sentinel, junior editor of Renascence: A Critical Journal of Letters, editor of the Newman Review, author of more than a dozen articles and reviews for learned journals.

He moved his family to Los Angeles where he accepted a teaching position at the University of Southern California.

Scientology Years

Dick found out about Scientology in 1968 and started attending evening classes at the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles, 2005 West 9th Street. In 1969 Dick moved his family to San Diego where he went to work at the University of San Diego. He gave intro lectures at the Scientology College Avenue Org. On April 17, 1970, Dick, as an associate professor of English at the University of San Diego and a devout Roman Catholic, wrote a letter of support for Scientology (see copy of letter to the right). This letter was eventually reprinted in Scientology's 1974 publication of the book - "Scientology: A World Religion Emerges in the Space Age". The reprint of his letter can be found on page twenty-one of the appendices section of the book.

After 3 years Dick quit his job at the University and joined the Sea OrgAbbreviation for Sea Organization. (Modern Management Technology Defined (C) 1976). at AOAbbreviation for Advanced Org. (Modern Management Technology Defined (C) 1976). Organization whose function is to run the Clearing and OT Courses. (FO 1151). He was all ready to move back to LA with his wife and children when the position was cancelled. Dick had everything ready for the move including the cutting off of his phone. His phone was cancelled during his conversation about his move to LA. He then took a job at the Church of Scientology of La Jolla (incorporated April 8, 1971) but was off loaded. He held various jobs, one as a manager of an “out of town” newspaper store and one as a short order cook at the cafeteria for mechanics at PSA Airlines. Dick was also the HQSAbbreviation for Hubbard Qualified Scientologist. (Modern Management Technology Defined (C) 1976) Course supervisor at Carl Barney’s Scientology Coordinated Services mission on 10th Street. When the mission and the Church of Scientology of La Jolla merged, in February 1973, Dick moved his family to LA where he worked as a Sea OrgAbbreviation for Sea Organization. (Modern Management Technology Defined (C) 1976). member at ASHOAbbreviation for American Saint Hill Organization. (Modern Management Technology Defined (C) 1976). as the Briefing Course supervisor. In a Scientology publication of 1973 Dick was featured as a supervisor of the Saint HillThe name of LRH's home in East Grinstead, Sussex, England. (BTB 12 Apr 72R) Special Briefing Course at ASHOAbbreviation for American Saint Hill Organization. (Modern Management Technology Defined (C) 1976). (see two pictures in the picture gallery).

Dick's first RPFAbbreviation for 1. Rehabilitation Project Force. (Modern Management Technology Defined (C) 1976). The Rehabilitation Project Force has been created by the Commodore so that redemption can occur. (FO 3434)

In early 1974 Dick was assigned to the 's RPF aboard the Excalibur. In August the was pulled off of the ship to make the newly acquired Chateau Elysee ready for . For days they hauled a bunch of trash out of the basement, after which the scraped and painted. Per FLWUS # 320, dated August 15, 1974, the following RPFer’s were commended for their work;

Coanda's 1970 letter

members, Fall of 1974

Nick Maminakis, Beth MacRae, Ron Stone, Pat Hunter, Doug Nopson, Steve Ambrose, David Holmes, Dick Coanda, Howard Dickman, Sara Reyes, Tom Cochran and Linda Hodge.

In the fall of 1974 Beth MacRae took a picture of the RPFAbbreviation for 1. Rehabilitation Project Force. (Modern Management Technology Defined (C) 1976). The Rehabilitation Project Force has been created by the Commodore so that redemption can occur. (FO 3434), during breakfast, on the bow of the Excalibur. Dick is pictured with his back to the camera. In January 1975, Dick wrote a commendation (see below) to Howard Dickman, which was used in Howard's RPFAbbreviation for 1. Rehabilitation Project Force. (Modern Management Technology Defined (C) 1976). The Rehabilitation Project Force has been created by the Commodore so that redemption can occur. (FO 3434) graduation CSWAbbreviation for "Completed Staff Work". An assembled package of information on any given situation, plan or emergency forwarded to me sufficiently complete to require from me only an "approved" or "disapproved". (Modern Management Technology Defined (C) 1976).. Dick graduated from the RPFAbbreviation for 1. Rehabilitation Project Force. (Modern Management Technology Defined (C) 1976). The Rehabilitation Project Force has been created by the Commodore so that redemption can occur. (FO 3434) and returned to ASHOAbbreviation for American Saint Hill Organization. (Modern Management Technology Defined (C) 1976)..

On July 4, 2010, Dick was interviewed by David Thomas about his time on the Excalibur's RPFAbbreviation for 1. Rehabilitation Project Force. (Modern Management Technology Defined (C) 1976). The Rehabilitation Project Force has been created by the Commodore so that redemption can occur. (FO 3434). At time stamp 6:19 to 6:30 Dick had this to say about his Excalibur RPFAbbreviation for 1. Rehabilitation Project Force. (Modern Management Technology Defined (C) 1976). The Rehabilitation Project Force has been created by the Commodore so that redemption can occur. (FO 3434) experience - "The first time I was gone for eleven months. I was aboard the Excalibur, that was a lot of fun actually. I lost thirty pounds. They didn't feed us well, didn't feed us well at all". His full interview can be viewed here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NjAyuVLdQ4

In January 2011, after the publication of Howard Dickman's story of the Excalibur's RPFAbbreviation for 1. Rehabilitation Project Force. (Modern Management Technology Defined (C) 1976). The Rehabilitation Project Force has been created by the Commodore so that redemption can occur. (FO 3434), Dick wrote the following message -

Quote from Dick Coanda, January 31, 2011 at 5:41 pm;

Hi Howard, Thanks for this positive report on the RPFAbbreviation for 1. Rehabilitation Project Force. (Modern Management Technology Defined (C) 1976). The Rehabilitation Project Force has been created by the Commodore so that redemption can occur. (FO 3434) you and I both served on. What you say is true, but the meals were skimpy — I lost 30 lbs. while there. Others suffered from malnutrition. There was no excuse for that. But we did have good times there. Best, Dick^[1]

Back to ASHOAbbreviation for American Saint Hill Organization. (Modern Management Technology Defined (C) 1976).

Picture Gallery

Lori and Dick Coanda
Dick and Lori Coanda
Dick and Lori Coanda's wedding picture
Dick Coanda and family
Dick supervising the SHSBCSaint Hill Special Briefing Course. A complete study of all the auditing materials and lectures up to the OT levels. Certification is a "Class VI" auditor. at ASHOAbbreviation for American Saint Hill Organization. (Modern Management Technology Defined (C) 1976).
Dick's success story as supervisor of the SHSBCSaint Hill Special Briefing Course. A complete study of all the auditing materials and lectures up to the OT levels. Certification is a "Class VI" auditor.
Scientology: A World Religion Emerges in the Space Age
FLWUS EDAbbreviation for Executive Director. The head of the org. (Modern Management Technology Defined (C) 1976).# 320, August 15, 1974
Commendation from Dick Coanda, January 7, 1975