[1] Richard Fehr originally worked as a typesetter and married his wife on 8 September 1960.
[2] He was ordained Chief Apostle by his predecessor Hans Urwyler at his bedside in the hospital.
Because of the severe disease which made Chief Apostle Hans Urwyler unfit for service in July 1987, he entrusted Richard Fehr with his substitution and ordained him Chief Apostle Helper on 28 August 1987.
On 3 May 1988, Fehr was ordained Chief Apostle by the very ill Urwyler.
Fehr later ordained Wilhelm Leber his successor on 15 May 2005 in Fellbach and officially asked him for his own retirement.