Lee J. Richards, M.D., was born on September 21, 1920, near Manfred, North Dakota. At the age of 4 he moved with his family to Shafter, California, where he lived until leaving for college. In There he met Esther Blakely, whom he married in 1941, and with whom he enjoyed life until her death in 2006.
Lee attended La Sierra College and then the College of Medical Evangelists (now Loma Linda University School of Medicine), receiving his M.D. Degree in 1947. He had joined the army reserves in 1943, and in 1948 he was called for active service. He had taught for a year at CME after his graduation, and when he was discharged from the army he returned to his teaching position.
In 1954 Lee moved his family to Bakersfield and began a residency in surgery at Kern Medical Center. Upon completion of that residency and passing his surgical boards, he built an office at 3803 Union Avenue, where he maintained a busy practice until the end of 1999. Although the office closed, he continued assisting various surgeons until September of 2015, when he celebrated his 95th birthday.
Lee was an active member of the Hillcrest Seventh-day Adventist Church and a strong supporter of Bakersfield Adventist Academy, where all three of his children and nine of his grandchildren attended school. He spent hundreds of hours in physical labor on projects that benefited
those two organizations, and others as well. His reputation for being a hard worker was intimidating.
Lee's personal life reflected his strong Christian faith. He was a devoted husband and father, a compassionate doctor, and a caring friend who will be missed by many.
Lee nursed Esther through her final illness, and after she died in 2006 he married Glyndon Nixon, whom he had known as a child in Shafter. He also cared for her in her final illness, and then in 2014 as he was still in reasonable health, he married Sachiko Wilbanks, who survives him.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his son, Ralph, of Creston, CA and his daughters, Beverly Phillips of Bakersfield and Luna Martin of Arroyo Grande, sixteen grandchildren, and twenty great-grandchildren.
Services will be on Friday, August 30, at 10 AM at the Hillcrest Seventh-day Adventist Church, 2801 Bernard Street. At Lee's request, in lieu of flowers or plants, donations may be made to that church and marked as a memorial to Lee Richards.
