Jim was born in Denver, Colorado to parents Edward and Emma Richards. He was raised there until the family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where he graduated from Valley High School. He then went on to attend the University of New Mexico and received a Bachelor’s of Music playing both trombone and upright bass. He met his wife-to-be there, Lavinia (Vin) Smith, and they were married on December 21, 1964. He went on to receive a Masters in Music Performance from the University of Boston where the couple lived but then returned to the Southwest eventually settling in El Paso, Texas.
Jim and Vin lived and worked in El Paso, with Jim working for IBM for many years. They had two children, Matthew and Bryan. Throughout the years, Jim played music with various different groups including many years in the El Paso Symphony as well as The Mike Caranda Big Band. He enjoyed playing golf on the weekends and camping in the mountains. Eventually Jim retired and supported Vin in her long-standing music studio and continued to enjoy his musical pursuits both in jazz groups as well as in their church.
Jim was a calm, gentle, intelligent individual who enjoyed a good history book, a classic opera, and a good basketball or football game. He was a regular supporter of UTEP basketball and a Cowboys fan at heart. You could find him many times bragging about his kids for their accomplishments or showing off pictures of his grandchildren. He is survived by his wife Lavinia (Vin) Richards; sister Janice Lemon; children Bryan Charic and Matthew Richards; grandchildren Jeremy Charic, Grayson Richards and Alexandria Richards.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, June 25th at 10:30 AM at Western Hills United Methodist Church located at 524 Thunderbird Dr, El Paso, TX 79912. All are welcome to attend.
People wanting to honor Jim and support his lifelong passions can feel free to make donations to the following organizations:
Western Hills United Methodist Church
https://www.westernhillsep.org/donate/
El Paso Symphony
https://www.epso.org/give/
El Paso Pro Musica
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=9KV8ADCLB5QVG
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MartinFuneralHomeWest.com for the Richards family.
