If you were around these parts from the 1960s through the 1980s, you probably knew the surname Rund. A large extended family owned as many six restaurants at a time, many of them having eponymous names.

Richard E. Rund, an especially successful member of its second generation of restaurateurs, died Sunday at the age of 89. The cause of death was COVID-19; Mr. Rund also had pre-existing medical conditions.

Richard Rund was born in 1930 and attended St. Thomas Aquinas school. He started out working for his father, William Rund, who owned several restaurants. The most popular was Rund's Oyster Bar at South Avenue and Ely Street; it was known for a large lobster hanging in its front window.

Richard Rund worked as a bartender at Rund’s Oyster Bar and eventually became general manager of Lakeshore Country Club, which was not part of the family business.

In 1962, Richard Rund and his brother, Jim, purchased the former Regent House on West Henrietta Road, with financial help from local investors.

“They developed it into a multimillion-dollar business,” said Theodore "Ted" Rund, Richard Rund's son. Rund's was a swanky place where men were required to wear a jacket. For 10 years, the seven-piece Joe Cady Orchestra would play from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. nightly. When the restaurant expanded, they brought in show bands from Las Vegas. “They had a waiting line out the door,” Ted Rund said.

Rund’s was known for its surf and turf; lobster tail and filet mignon, along with a potato and salad, came with a price tag of $3.95. Mr. Rund eventually bought a 42-foot wood Pacemaker power boat and named it Surf and Turf after the dish that paid for the boat. He and his wife, Barbara, would eventually navigate the boat up and down the Intracoastal Waterway between Rochester and Florida.

The brothers’ partnership split up in 1976, and Mr. Rund started Rund's Hearthside Oyster Bar in Ridgemont Plaza in Greece. It eventually was renamed Rund's on the Ridge. He ran it until he retired in 1988 and Ted Rund took over.

Richard Rund generally served as general manager of the restaurants. “He was very strict,” Ted Rund said. “Everything had to be in a certain place.”

The family worked long hours in the business, including Mother’s Day, Easter, New Year’s Eve and other holidays. The rewards for their efforts were family trips to places like the Thousand Islands, Cape Cod, Florida, Canada and the Adirondacks.

Richard Rund’s children and grandchildren have carried on the family tradition of owning restaurants; Ted and his son, Teddy Junior, own The Thirsty Turtle in Victor.

“We touched so many lives – from customers to vendors to employees – it’s endless,” Ted Rund said.

After his wife’s death in 2016, Richard Rund moved to The Hurlbut on East Henrietta Road. Although the Democrat and Chronicle has reported that at least seven people have died of COVID-19 there, Ted Rund spoke highly of the facility.

“They did an excellent job,” Ted Rund said. “Hurlbut was really, really good to my dad. I imagine they did the best they could.”

Last week, Hurlbut staff informed the family that Richard Rund had contracted COVID-19. “When that happened we kind of knew the handwriting was on the wall,” Ted Rund said. Members of the family had conversations with Mr. Rund via telephone after his diagnosis, but Mr. Rund died alone. Ted Rund regretted that family members couldn’t be with him, but acknowledged that even if they had been allowed, they wouldn’t have wanted to contract the virus or infect their families.

“It’s nobody’s fault,” Ted Rund said.

Mr. Rund is survived by four children: Richard “Duff” Rund, Marcia Bradley, Theodore “Ted” Rund and Brian Rund, as well as many grandchildren and great grandchildren. His wife, Barbara, died in 2016 after 68 years of marriage. A memorial service will be held at a future date when people can safely gather.

Reporter Tracy Schuhmacher focuses on food from many facets. Send story tips to TracyS@Gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram as @RahChaChow. Your subscription makes work like this possible.