Richard M LaPiana, 84

Richard LaPiana passed away on Jan. 10, 2024, peacefully surrounded by his family and his beloved dog Guido. 

Born in San Fransico on July 3, 1939. Richard “Rick” lived a prosperous life in Santa Barbara running and owning the historical family-owned restaurant The Talk of the Town for more than 42 years. Retired from the hospitality business in the early 2000s, he and his wife Barbara moved to Polson, Montana to be closer to family. 

Family was everything to him, he never missed the opportunity to cook for the ones he loved. A dear friend wrote: “A person could not ask for a better honest and truer friend than that of Rick LaPiana.”

Rick is survived by his wife Barbara of 65 years, his three daughters and their families, nine grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.