Richard Caster, pictured at his home in Delray Beach, enjoys traveling the world with his family. They have traveled to India, China, Japan, Turkey, Israel and throughout Europe, Africa and South America. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
Many of us enjoy traveling. Richard Caster of coastal Delray Beach has turned it into a lifestyle for him and his ever-expanding family.
Some 25 years ago, when his three children were enrolled at Pine Crest School in Boca Raton, the headmaster — who formerly held the same position at a school in Switzerland — approached Caster about taking his family abroad for a year. He and his wife, Cary, were intrigued.
“We talked for a couple years about where we should go,” said Caster, who was in his early 40s at the time. “I still had significant business interests, so I still needed convenient access to come home. And there was a language issue.
“So, after debating whether it should be Spain or Italy, primarily in Europe — although Singapore or Japan were also considered — my wife said, ‘Why don’t we go to London?
They speak English, and if you want to come home it’s an easy transition.’ And I said that’s it.”
Persuading their children to join them in the adventure didn’t prove to be as difficult as might be expected.
“My parents had taken the oldest one on a trip to London, so she was excited about it and then the other two got excited. It was an easy sell.”
The three children applied for and were accepted into the American School in London while Caster stepped away from his job for a while. After nine months, Pine Crest sent a letter asking whether the family was planning to return.
“I honestly hadn’t even thought about it, we were having such a fabulous time,” he said. “There was a decision whether I was going to retire, but I was still in my early 40s. The people I was around were retired, but they were older, and I didn’t see myself doing that. So, they saved spots for the kids and we came back and they settled back into school.”
That was the end of that adventure, but the family has had many more since.
“Since then, every year we take a two-week trip with the kids, and we’ve literally been all over the world, close to two dozen trips,” Caster said. “I’ve been to Africa five times, Egypt, India, China, Japan, Turkey, Israel, Europe many times, South America. The kids have traveled with us extensively — as well as gone off by themselves.”
The oldest, Jennah, spent nine months studying in Australia, and youngest, Lana, has just returned after living in Sweden for 10 years.
Because son Barron’s wife is pregnant with the couple’s second child, this will be the first year in some time the entire family won’t travel together.
Caster, now 67, and Cary, whom he describes as a “tennis fanatic,” will return to London this summer to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary by taking in Wimbledon, where they hope to see fellow Delray Beach resident Coco Gauff capture another major championship.
Jennah lives in Boynton Beach and is product manager for Royal Caribbean cruise line in Miami; Barron lives in San Francisco and is CEO of a crypto company that designs privacy products; and Lana lives in Pittsburgh and is a creative director for Duolingo, a language company.
Caster’s interest in charitable giving is focused on education and food programs, primarily for youth. “Children cannot vote so they often do not have a voice,” he said.
He is a founding member of Impact 100 Men and gives back to a number of local nonprofits, including Roots and Wings, which supports and encourages children’s reading skills and teachers who inspire learning.
— Brian Biggane
Q: Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
A: I was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale. My father was a general surgeon, and my mother was a stay-at-home mom who raised me and my two brothers. I graduated from Northwestern University with a [bachelor’s] in communication studies and received an MBA from the University of Miami. I am also a graduate gemologist with a degree from the Gemological Institute of America.
Q: What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
A: After college I went into the wholesale diamond business, focusing on wholesale and estate jewelry, primarily in the Palm Beach area. In my mid-20s, after completing my business degree, I became passionate about real estate and began working for a small development company. After learning the fundamentals of the business, I went to work for a large-scale land development group, and eight years later went out on my own.
I have been exposed to just about every asset class of real estate. In my early years I traveled quite a lot for work, primarily throughout Florida but also other areas of the country.
Today, I am a principal at Azure Development based in Delray Beach. We develop custom luxury homes in south Palm Beach County, mostly on the island. We also build commercial properties and mixed-use developments, for which we have received local and state recognition. In the last decade we’ve built about 100 luxury homes, all in east Delray.
Q: What advice do you have for a young person seeking a career today?
A: Focus on one aspect of the business and become extremely knowledgeable. There are many entries to becoming successful in this industry, including marketing, finance and construction.
Q: How did you choose to make your home in coastal Delray Beach?
A: My wife and I have loved living in Delray Beach for the past 20 years. We chose to move here after raising our three children in Boca Raton. While living in Boca, my office was in downtown Delray, and I always loved the vibe of the community. After looking around a while, we found a waterfront lot on a charming street on the island and built our dream home.
Q: What is your favorite part about living in coastal Delray Beach?
A: Overall, we enjoy a great beach-town lifestyle. My wife and I enjoy our daily walks to the beach and going for a quick swim in the beautiful ocean. My children like being walking distance to the Avenue, which we frequent for dining and entertainment. I have a boat in my backyard, which offers endless enjoyment whether for waterskiing, scuba diving, or a sunset cruise with friends.
Q: What book are you reading now?
A: I always have at least a half-dozen books on my nightstand. Currently, I am reading On the Edge; The Women, and The Overstory. I also listen to several podcasts, many focused on business and current events.
Q: What music do you listen to when you want to relax? When you want to be inspired?
A: I try to either walk to the gym or office every day and have gotten hooked on podcasts focused on business and current events. Now I am listening to Prof G, Honestly with Bari Weiss and Call Me Back with Dan Senor. I really don’t listen much to music anymore because I don’t have the time. When I do it is usually playlists created by my children.
Q: Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
A: I have been fortunate to have several mentors and role models in my life, including both my father and father-in-law. My father was extremely generous with his time and exposed me to the mechanics of high-level deal making. My father-in-law was a mentor in business. He was an active real estate developer and later venture capitalist. I learned the fundamentals of business from him.
Q: If your life story were to be made into a movie, who would play you?
A: Tom Hanks. By coincidence, my older brother coached soccer with Tom and bought his house, where he still lives today. My brother and his family had to evacuate their home recently due to the fires in the Pacific Palisades.
Q: Who/what makes you laugh?
A: We watch comedy specials on streaming. Dave Chappelle is very funny and intelligent.
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