John A Richards' Obituary
John Richards Obituary
John Arthur Richards, age 77, passed away in North Potomac, MD on January 4, 2024 after a brief hospital stay. He was born February 9, 1946, in New York, NY to John Abram and Anna Millicent (Arctander) Richards, both of whom preceded him in death. He was married to the love of his life, Susan Jean Bailey Richards on July 8, 1967 and they celebrated 38 years of marriage until her death on October 30, 2005.
John is survived by his daughter Elizabeth Helen Richards Bailey and her husband Scott, their stepson Liam Shermeyer (Colleen), their grandsons Matthew Brian and Rowan Scott as well as their stepson Logan Shermeyer (Carrie) and grandson Holden Eugene. A third stepson, Connor Shermeyer passed away in January 2022. John is also survived by his two sisters, Elizabeth Richards Schmuecker (Gottlob) of Augsburg, Germany and Joanne Piersall of Columbia, MD, his nephew Matthew Piersall (Julie) of Ijamsville, MD and their two children Emily Susan and Jackson Douglas. John is survived by his wife’s extended family who welcomed him warmly from the time they met almost 60 years ago.
John graduated from Somers High School in Westchester County, NY and enjoyed reconnecting with many of his classmates at their 50th reunion in 2014. He went on to receive his BA in political science and his master’s degree in international relations at American University in Washington, DC, where he met his wife Susan.
John was a dedicated civil servant for the Federal Government for forty-five years, beginning his career at the National Archives while still working his way through school and continuing his career at the Food and Drug Administration and then the Environmental Protection Agency. John worked diligently to ensure the public had access to the information those agencies produced and considered the team he led to be family.
A Memorial Service will be held at Hartman Sons Funeral Home in Columbus Grove on May 4, 2024. Visitors will be received by the family from 10am to 12pm. Services will begin at 12pm with Pastor Rich Rakay officiating. Anyone wishing to visit the gravesite may do so immediately following the service. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
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