Suzanne Louise Richardson

Suzanne “Sue” Richardson passed away peacefully with her loving family by her side on April 26, 2025 at the age of 90.

Sue is survived by her loving husband and dance partner of 70 years Raymond “Ray” Richardson. They met at the University of Cincinnati and bonded over a shared love of music, dancing, dreams of travel and having the exact same birthdate. After they wed in 1957, Sue worked as a first-grade teacher and piano teacher. Ray’s service in the Air Force and work for the National Weather Service allowed them to grow their family and friends while stationed in Altus and Tulsa, OK; Minneapolis, MN; Little Rock, AR; Salt Lake City, UT and eventually landing in Derwood, MD in 1975.

Sue was the eldest daughter of the late Russell “Bus” and Louise Bell Schneider in a big family community in Loudonville, Ohio. Her father was an engineer for the Flxible Bus company, while her mother worked at the local elementary school. In her youth, Sue and her sister Mary Alice attended the Music Conservatory of Wooster, Ohio, where they became classically trained pianists and were once invited by Pulitzer Prize winning author Louis Bromfield to play piano for his guests at Malabar Farm in Mansfield, Ohio. Sue continued to pursue her passion for playing the piano throughout her life, overcoming vision loss in later years, and often brought friends and family together around the piano to listen to mini-recitals, morning reveries and holiday sing-alongs.

While raising her four children, Sue earned a Masters Degree in Early Education at Hood College and had a long career teaching preschoolers and serving as the Director of Gaithersburg Presbyterian Preschool until she retired in 2000. She then served 10 years on the Board of the Mill Creek Parish Preschool. During retirement, she enjoyed traveling and her trips to Costa Rica, Greece, Spain, Russia, Alaska, Yosemite, and Acadia National Park were some of her most treasured adventures.

Sue brought her infectious love of music and lively gatherings to the Mill Creek Towne community by serving as the Social Director for the Mill Creek Village for many years, bringing the community together for picnics, ice cream socials, wine tastings, and game nights. Sue was very active in the Mill Creek Parish Methodist Church community; the Mill Creek Towne book club; the Mill Creek Towne swimming pool; the Needwood Golf Course where she played the Executive Course regularly; and the Gaithersburg Senior Center.

In addition to her husband, Sue is survived by Steve and Lori Richardson of Fairfax, VA; Ann and Jim DeMerlis of Lower Gwynedd, PA; John Richardson of Raleigh, NC; and Mamdouh Droubi of Derwood, MD. Sue was happiest when she was talking with or sharing the adventures and achievements of her 8 beloved grandchildren: Lisa (Eric) Gravil; Allyson, Kyle, and Matthew DeMerlis; and Morgan, Haley (Yeli Cruz), Katharine and Jack Richardson. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her sisters, Mary Alice Staman and Elizabeth “Betsy” Swinson; her beloved daughter, Kathryn “Kathy” Droubi; and her infant granddaughter, Emily Grace Richardson.

If you’d like to join us in celebrating Sue’s life, you can do so by listening to a good novel, attending a musical event, visiting an art museum, going on a Volksmarch, gathering with a group of friends (preferably with a glass of Riesling), playing a fierce game of Gin Rummy with loved ones, doing the Washington Post crossword puzzle, watching Lucky Dog on Saturday morning, or cheering for the Washington Nationals. Contributions in Sue’s memory to Mill Creek Parish United Methodist Church , Casey House-Montgomery Hospice or Planned Parenthood would be greatly appreciated.

A celebration of Sue’s life is planned for Sunday, June 22, 2025, at 1:00 pm at Mill Creek Parish United Methodist Church, 7101 Horizon Terrace, Derwood, MD.

The entire Richardson family would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to all the friends and neighbors of the Mill Creek Village, Mill Creek Towne and Mill Creek Parish communities for their generous care and support of both Sue and Ray in allowing them to age in place in their home of nearly 50 years. The family also extends their deepest gratitude to the whole team at the Casey House for surrounding Sue and her family with loving care and tenderness in her final days.