JOANN FULLEN RICHARDSON was born in Saltville, VA on November 26, 1937 to Orlando Fullen and Nora Mae Fullen. She was the third of her mother’s four children and was raised by her grandmother, Maggie Fullen, the matriarch of the Fullen family.
Joann graduated from Douglass High School in Bristol, VA and attended Bluefield State College, in Bluefield, West Virginia. She became an active member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority in 1957 and in 1959, Joann was named Miss Bluefield State and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration.
Upon graduation Joann moved to Washington, D.C., where she had spent summers during her college years with her aunts, cousins and extended family. When she arrived in Washington she lived with her beloved aunt Savannah Foots and was employed by United States Government General Accountability Office. On March 4, 1967 she married her college classmate James Richardson and their union was blessed with the birth of a son, Alex, and a daughter, Lisa.
Joann had a gift for bringing people together with love and laughter. Her warm smile and generosity touched the lives of family and friends everywhere she went. She loved to spend time with her family and looked forward to gathering with loved ones “down home” each year at the Fullen family reunion in Abingdon, VA. She was a great listener, an incredible cook and loving support to all who knew her.
Upon retiring from the federal government after 35 years, Joann delivered food to the sick through Meals on Wheels and was an active volunteer for Ministries United Silver Spring/Takoma Park, providing emergency assistance to those in need. She was a committed Catholic and gave generously of her time and resources in her church, her community and among her loved ones. Her glow, her kindness and her authenticity infected all who encountered her; she was exceptional in her consistent expression of positivity, dignity and grace regardless of the circumstances. She will always remain in our hearts and will be remembered as a devoted wife, loving mother, attentive niece, caring sister, thoughtful cousin and a compassionate friend.
She is survived by son Alex Jeffrey Richardson; daughter Lisa Jaye Richardson; eldest brother Braxton Anderson; her dear aunt Lydia Fullen; her sister in-law Kathy Fullen; her sister-in-law Beulah Hardy, her brother and sister in-law Edgar and Wilma Richardson; grandson, Dashiell Alexander Richardson; and a host of cousins, relatives and friends.
She is preceded in death by her husband of forty-six years James Alexander Richardson, her elder sister Shirley Branch and her brother Thomas Fullen.
Due to COVID, private arrangements for the family will be held on Wednesday, December 16, 2020.
Memorial contributions may be made to:
The House of Ruth
5 Thomas Circle, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20005
houseofruth.org
