Richard Pacheco was an only child born after 21 years of marriage. He was born in New Bedford Massachusetts. His father, Joesph was a Portuguese immigrant from Sao Miguel in the Azores. His mother, Helen was from a Portuguese immigrant family and born in Provincetown, Massachusetts.He graduated from New Bedford High School. He was married for ten years to Mary Jane Sumner and then divorced in 1981. He received his BFA in painting from U. Mass. Dartmouth and his MFA there as well in printmaking, sculpture and teaching. He was the single parent of three children, getting custody in 1981 in his divorce, Joel, Jennifer and Jonathan.While teaching and rearing his children he was also an arts writer an journalist for the New Bedford Standard-Times. He worked for them for 23 years and retired from teaching in 2003. Since retiring from teaching he has pursued a career as a professional actor, director and playwright. He acts on stage, as well as in film and television. He is an artist, teacher, poet, journalist, playwright, fiction writer and actor. He has one grandchild Sean Pacheco.His poetry book "Geography" was nominated for a 2015 Pulitzer Prize.His p-lay "Swann Song" received the best new play award from A.R.T.A (American Regional Theatre Awards) in 1987 and her received another award from A.R.T.A. his his arts writing for the New Bedford Standard-Times in 1988.He is listed in the New York Art Review (1988) as a prominent artist.