A native Kansan, Richard "Dick" L. Sias attended the University of Kansas and the University of Mexico receiving his juris doctorate from KU. His career included tenures at Continental Oil, AnSon and Mustang Fuel Corporation, from which he retired in 1990 after 20 years of service.
Dick's wife Jeanette grew up in Oklahoma City and was the daughter of Edward. C. Joullian Jr. and Alice Tailleur Joullian. She earned a bachelor's degree in speech therapy from Oklahoma State University and a master's degree in speech from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She spent many years as a speech therapist for Oklahoma City Public Schools.
The couple spent many years volunteering their time, money and leadership to Oklahoma City civic causes. Longtime arts patrons, they supported numerous organizations including the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra, Oklahoma City Art Museum, Cimarron Circuit Opera Company and Ambassadors' Concert Choir. In 2009, the couple was inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame for "a lifetime spent in lifting the culture of Oklahoma to a higher level than they found it." Together with Jeanette's brother Ed Joullian, she and Dick founded Joullian Vineyards in Carmel, California. They were also instrumental in creating the Ad Astra Foundation, a private foundation to support various philanthropic causes.
Mr. Sias became well acquainted with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation during his years as a Trustee, serving from 1995-2001. The couple have given to numerous endowment funds throughout the years and established an advised fund to support their family's charitable interests. Following Mrs. Sias' death in 2014, the family also established the Jeanette Sias Music Scholarship as a tribute to her passion for the arts.