John Edward Richardson was born February 21, 1925 in Melbourne, Arkansas to Isaac and Annie Richardson. He was the second youngest in a family of nine. Being raised on a farm, he learned the value of hard work. He moved to Oklahoma City in his late teens to work in an aircraft factory hanging doors. From there, he moved to Portland Oregon to work as a carpenter in the shipyards. He was a carpenter for 45 years and upon his death had been a proud union member for 70 plus years. John worked on many projects big and small and even ran his own construction company for a while – Gresham Construction. He helped build Rose Villa in its early years. He was very well known for his fine craftsmanship. John really enjoyed his work and spent many nights and weekends helping others with their construction projects.
John married Juanita Gumm in 1947 and had two sons, Larry and Keith. In 1955, he married Nellie Smith who had two sons of her own, Dennis and Norman. Together they had one daughter, Mary Ann. John and Nellie lived in Portland and Gresham until he retired in 1990. They moved to Rose Villa shortly thereafter. Nellie passed away in 2001.
John was a long-time member of Gresham First Baptist Church. His faith in Jesus Christ was very important to him. He was a Trustee responsible for helping care for the church building. He was also a leader in Baptist Youth Fellowship (BYF) working with middle school students. He helped with retreats and outings where the youth had lots of teaching and fun. The young people loved him.
John was known for being friendly to all. He could engage almost anyone in a conversation. He had a hearty laugh and sharp mind. John loved traveling both in Oregon and around the country. He remarked on his retirement how blessed he was that Christ chose him to be what he is. He was thankful for his family and for all the good friendships that he acquired through his life.
John was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s when he was 85. The disease progressed very slowly enabling him to live on his own with some assistance. In July 2017, he moved to the Health Center at Rose Villa. There he received excellent care until his death on January 28th, 2020.
John is survived by his sons Larry and Keith (Laura), his stepson Dennis LaPlant, his daughter Mary Ann (John) Swingle, his daughter-in-law Susan LaPlante, 9 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren, 7 great great grandchildren, one great grandchild on the way and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife Nellie, his stepson Norman LaPlante, one great grandchild Ashley and all his siblings. John’s great grandson, Theodore Alexander Swingle, passed away just a few hours after John on January 29th.
