Richard Scott Magruder

Richard Scott Magruder, beloved brother and devoted father, died of natural causes during a family vacation in Colorado on July 2, 2025. A retired attorney, he was 75.

Rick graduated from Kansas City Missouri’s Southwest High School in 1970 and received his B.A. from the University of Missouri in 1974, going on to earn his J.D. degree at the MU Law School in 1978.

Soft-spoken and selfless, Rick was seemingly born into the law. His father, Guy A. Magruder Jr., was an attorney in Kansas City, Mo., and his maternal grandfather Scott R. Timmons practiced law in Carrolton, Mo. Rick began his career as an attorney for Legal Aid of Western Missouri and spent several years as a city prosecutor in the Kansas City Municipal Court. He later became an in-house defense attorney for The Hartford Insurance Group where he served as the managing attorney of the Kansas City office.

In 1985 Rick married Rebecca Magruder (nee Court) with whom he had a son, David. David was always a priority for Rick. When David considered attending college in Texas, Rick moved to South Padre Island to establish residency. When David settled on USC, Rick moved to Los Angeles. Rick eventually moved to Goodyear, AZ where he spent the last five years of his life. His marriage to Rebecca ended in divorce in 2001.

Rick was an avid game player and reader and had an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals, the teams he and his brother Jack followed while growing up. Together they discovered a secret shortcut to the sports stadium (the key is Sni-A-Bar road).

During Rick’s time in Texas his short acting career blossomed. Connected to Hollywood through his sister Betsy, who was working as the 1st Assistant Director, Rick appeared as Juror #2 in the Coen bothers’ 2010 remake of “True Grit” starring Jeff Bridges.

Rick is survived by his son David, a graduate of USC and the Loyola Law School who practices law in Los Angeles, Ca.; his brother Jack Magruder (Janie) of Tempe, Az.; his sister Betsy Magruder of Salinas, Ca.; and his nephews Elliot Magruder, Joel Magruder and Sean Magruder (with whom he shared a secret Lamda Chi Alpha fraternity handshake). Rick is also survived by his former wife, Rebecca Magruder.