Dick Vivian, the beloved owner of Rooky Ricardo's Records in San Francisco's Lower Haight, known for his encyclopedic knowledge of 45 RPM singles and his vibrant personality, has died at 78 after a battle with cancer.

On July 24, 2026, San Francisco’s Lower Haight lost a beat, a rhythm, and a beloved local legend with the passing of Dick Vivian, the 78-year-old owner of Rooky Ricardo’s Records. Vivian, a fixture in the city’s music scene since 1987, succumbed at home after a 16-month battle with Stage 3 pancreatic cancer.

Vivian’s shop, Rooky Ricardo’s Records, though its precise address remains elusive in public records, has been a vibrant cornerstone of the Lower Haight, recognized for its vast collection of 45 RPM singles and for Vivian himself. He was renowned for his infectious enthusiasm, quick wit, and an unparalleled ability to guide customers through the labyrinthine world of obscure R&B and soul records. As store owner Chris Veltri of nearby Groove Merchant once observed to KQED, "His store is kind of a dying breed; it's 100% him. You're kind of walking into a different era, a space that's unique into itself.”

His cancer diagnosis in March 2025 galvanized the community, leading to a GoFundMe campaign that raised over $40,000 to assist with medical expenses. Vivian’s spirit, even amidst illness, remained undimmed; he was quoted by SFist expressing gratitude for the outpouring of support, saying, “I know I know a lot of people, but this is beyond my wildest dreams. As I’m sitting here waiting to know what’s going to happen, it’s really made a huge difference in my attitude. So I’m still laughing and being hilarious. Thank you, everybody.”

In 2007, Rooky Ricardo's Records cemented its place in the city's cultural fabric by joining the San Francisco Legacy Business Registry, a testament to its enduring significance. The store’s social media shared a poignant tribute following Vivian’s death, listing his many roles: "Our joke-teller, dancer, proprietor, host (both social and professional), waiter, tennis ace, best calves in the city, stack-maker, cash-loaner, gift-giver, convertible driver, laugher, cocktail drinker, not-a-bad-record-in-the-place-thank-you-very-much, mayor of the Lower Haight, Rooky Ricardo himself." They added simply, "He was a celeb.”

While the future of Rooky Ricardo's Records remains unannounced, the void left by Dick Vivian’s passing is palpable. For those walking past its doors in the coming days, the absence of its singular proprietor will be a quiet, yet profound, change on a corner that he defined for decades.