I spoke with him last month and he told me that he had beaten his cancer, which was amazing news. However, I did notice that his voice sounded kind of weak. I thought maybe it was the phone connection or maybe he was just tired. Unfortunately, he had COVID pneumonia and was later hospitalized. I believe this is probably what killed him.
Now, regarding his character, let me say this: the only difference between Dick and your average vintage card dealer is that Dick spoke very openly about the things he did, while your average vintage dealer isn't going to do this. Soaking, as you know, is something that has been done in this hobby for a very long time. It has also been discussed on this forum very openly. Heck, I even learned how to do this because of the threads I found on here!
Yes, there were other things he did which some wouldn't agree with, such as pressing out wrinkles - to each his own. However, compared to all the guys outed by BODA, Dick was an angel!
R.I.P.