Richard Pocker is a self-published author, philanthropist, and lifelong advocate for people with hearing loss. At the age of thirty, he experienced a sudden and total collapse of his hearing that led to thirty-five years of complete deafness. In 2016, with simultaneous bilateral cochlear implant surgery, he regained speech comprehension and dedicated himself to helping others find their way out of the isolation of deafness. His website, Cochlear Implant Basics, cochlearimplantbasics.com hosts a library of podcast interviews, resources, and transcripts that have guided hundreds of candidates and families through the cochlear implant journey.
He is also active in holding seminars in person and online to support those with hearing loss and their significant others.
A third-generation picture framer, Richard served as CEO of J. Pocker & Son, the landmark Manhattan art and picture framing business established by his immigrant grandparents in 1926. His book J. Pocker & Son: Story of a Third Generation Family Business tells the story of resilience, artistry, and community that shaped both the company and New York’s cultural life.
Richard’s other works include Cochlear Implant Basics: What a Candidate for a Cochlear Implant Needs to Know, is a compilation of transcripts of podcast interviews found on his website along with additional material to smooth the path for those suffering from the isolation of severe hearing loss to move forward with cochlear implants and find a way back into the world of sound.
The Illustrated Guide to Flowering Tobacco for Gardens is a study of the beauty, history, and cultural impact of the tobacco plant, now part of the Kew Gardens library collection in London and the Selby Botanical Garden library in Sarasota Florida. Richard is one of the few blue-ribbon winners for tobacco at the Dutchess County Fair in Rhinebeck NY.
The Idiot From Mensa; Not Among the Gifted, a humorous and self-deprecating collection of essays drawn from his wide-ranging life experiences. He has three additional manuscripts in progress.
Beyond writing, Richard is a world traveler who has visited 73 countries and seven continents. He has been active in Sarasota-area community life, serving with organizations such as Sertoma of Greater Sarasota, Sertoma Kids, and the Hearing Loss Association of America and the Ear Research Foundation.
His mission—through books, mentoring, and advocacy—is to ensure that no one living with hearing loss has to face isolation alone.
