On May 9, 2023, Arthur Lynn Richardson left this world to enter paradise with his Lord and Savior Jesus. Art had a prolonged stay in hospice as he battled several debilitating illnesses, surviving well beyond the expectations of the hospice nurses and staff.
Art was born in Paw Paw, Oct. 11, 1948, to his parents Lester and Bette Richardson. The complications of his birth were the beginning of a life of struggles for him, leaving him with physical and learning disabilities. Life was not always friendly to Art; yet he tolerated and dealt with the cruelty and alienation that society can cast upon those who are marginalized, different or simply…just not normal. Possibly, that could explain how Art lived as long as he did, especially in his last two weeks because he had developed a spirit of courage and strength to show love and generosity to anyone he met.
After graduating from Hartford High School in 1967, Art found reward working in a fruit canning factory in Paw Paw until one day when he fell and sustained injuries that would plague him the rest of his life. Art still found joy in cheering for his beloved Detroit Tigers, buying watches and tinkering with them, and eating his favorite meal, pizza! He volunteered at nursing homes, assisting the residents playing bingo. When he worked at a sheltered workshop, he helped those more disabled than him to assemble parts for bikes. He stuffed envelopes with letters to soldiers. His adult care home gave Art and his fellow residents a Caribbean cruise. When asked what his favorite part of the voyage was, he said “The pretty girls!” Art had a fascination for cars and loved listening to his favorite rock band, The Beatles. Most importantly, Art loved Jesus. His faith in God was absolute. Whenever he would see a rainbow, he would tell us that God had put the rainbow in the sky to remind us that He would never flood the world again. His politeness and gentleness were living examples of his devotion to his Lord.
Art is preceded in death by his father, Lester Sr., and mother, Bette (103 years old!).
He is survived by his two brothers, Perry, of Paw Paw, ‘Ritch’ of Overland Park, KS, and Ritch’s wife Diane; two nephews, Evan of Cape Coral, FL, (Perry) and Keith, of Overland Park, KS (Ritch); two nieces, Nicole Warren of Denver, CO, and Leann Fisher of Overland Park, KS, (both daughters of Ritch); three grandnephews; and three grandnieces, all through Ritch.
A private service will be held at Prospect Hill Cemetery, Paw Paw. In lieu of flowers, consider a donation to Residential Opportunities, Inc. https://www.residentialopportunities.org/ .
The family is indebted to their extraordinary and compassionate care for Art.
Next time you see a rainbow, remember Art and his faith. And when you hear the song, “Here Comes the Sun”, try to sing along in our beloved brother’s memory. You can even substitute ‘Sun’ with ‘Son’ because the Son of God came and welcomed Art home. Share a memory or sign the online guestbook at: www.adamspawpaw.com
Monday, November 25, 2024
