Nathan Thaddeus Richardson

Nathan Thaddeus Richardson, Jr., known to all as Thad, passed away on January 8, 2026, at the age of 92. He lived and died in Fairfax Station, Virginia. Thad was born on December 21, 1933, in Memphis, Tennessee, to Mary Ellen Jackson Richardson and Nathan Thaddeus Richardson, Sr. (“N.T.”). He grew up in Grand Junction, Tennessee. In 1963, Thad married Annie Virginia Mooneyhan. They were married for 62 years.

Thad earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Memphis State University in 1956 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. He became a pilot and served with distinction for two decades, flying more than 12,000 hours as both a pilot and instructor pilot.

During his Air Force career, Major Richardson participated in numerous historic and high-risk operations, including the Berlin corridor blockade, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and eleven Vietnam campaigns between 1962 and 1969. In 1969, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary heroism after delivering critical supplies under heavy hostile fire in the Republic of Vietnam.

He retired from the United States Air Force with the rank of Major in 1976 and took courses in heating and air conditioning, welding, bricklaying, real estate sales, and computer programming. Following his military career, Thad continued his commitment to national service through a second career with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), from which he retired in 1997. Thad also worked part time as a licensed real estate salesman from 1975 to 1995, and ultimately retired from his final career as a computer programmer with BAE Systems in 2011, after 14 years. He would always mention how thankful he was that the Lord took him on many wonderful adventures in his life.

In his spare time, Thad would row on his Olympic trainer, tinker around the house (he could fix just about anything!), and invest. When they weren’t traveling or camping, he loved keeping Ann company on the couch parallel to hers, and they both had a love of seeing bluebirds nest on their property every year.

Thad is survived by his wife, Ann, his four children, Eileen (Jones), Neal, Rachel (Hubler), and Alice (Chown), twelve grandchildren (who lovingly referred to him as PopPop), and one great-grandchild.