September 28, 1937 ~ November 14, 2023
Jim passed away unexpectedly in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 14, 2023, from complications with chemotherapy treatments in his ongoing battle with cancer.
He is survived by his loving wife of forty years, Linda, four children, Lori (Dan) Kuntz, Jurt Richardson, Dan (Tiffany) Rolfe, Danelle (Luke) Searfoss, ten grandchildren, four great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
He was born at home in Glendora, Michigan, on September 28, 1937, to his parents David and Faye (Pletcher) Richardson.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents, sister Doris, and brothers Jerry and Reggie.
He attended school in New Troy, Michigan, and graduated from New Troy High School in May of 1955.
In 1955, he joined the Michigan National Guard in Niles, Michigan, and served 9 years in Company A, 246th Tank Battalion.
In 1955, he started working as a mechanic for Bud Marx Chevrolet in Bridgman, Michigan.
In 1966, Jim went to work for the Gerber Baby Wear Company in Three Oaks, Michigan, until 1988 when he left to take a position with Exclusively Expo in Romeoville, Illinois, where he worked until he retired.
Jim was loved by his family and friends, and they knew him as a warm, friendly, highly intelligent, extremely hard working and talented man. He was a licensed pilot and owned his own airplane for a while.
Jim was also a very talented musician with singing and guitar playing abilities and he played for fifteen years with a group known as Shiloh.
His mechanical ability was almost beyond belief; he totally restored a 1959 Plymouth Fury to a like-new condition and named it “Maxine” after his mother-in-law.
Jim also built an amazing Dodge drag racing car named “Somebody’s Nightmare” that successfully competed in multiple states with Nostalgia Super Stocks and was truly amazing to watch.
Jim loved his many Boxer puppies, including Scooby, who survives and misses Jim terribly.
The family is planning a private memorial service at the VFW Hall in Marcellus, Michigan, on Saturday, July 20, 2024, from 1:00 to 3:00pm.
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