“He had an early brush with death,” said his daughter Linda Richardson, 60.
Instead, Richardson served his country and lived another 72 years.
Richardson, 89, a World War II veteran, died Saturday after battling dementia for several years, his daughter said.
“He was my hero, my father,” she said.
Her father was generous, had an unwavering faith, loved golf, showed his three children his work ethic and was always honest, his daughter said.
“You never questioned his integrity,” she said. “He lived a great life.”
There were heartbreaks, too. In 1985, while working at Hamilton Fisherbody, where he retired in 1986 after 36 years of service, Richardson lost a leg in an industrial accident.
Over the next 33 years, he wore out six prosthetic legs, his daughter said.
Richardson was a member of Lakota Hills Baptist Church, where he taught Sunday school and sang in the choir. He was a member of the Washington Lodge 17 Masons, the Washington Chapter 195 of the Eastern Star, and the Kiwanis.
Combining his love of golf with the need to serve others, Richardson worked at Walden Ponds Golf Course during his retirement.
He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Juanita; two sons, Carl, 65, and Paul, 55; daughter, Linda; four grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter.
Visitation will be held from noon to 1 p.m. May 2 at the Webb Noonan Kidd Funeral Home. Funeral ceremony will follow at 1 p.m. with Pastor Travis Smalley officiating. Interment will be held at Rose Hill Burial Park.
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