Dorothy Grace Richards

Dorothy Grace Richards was born on April 28, 1919 in Superior, WI. She was the oldest (by just minutes ahead of her twin sister, Doris ) of four children to Randolph Waseen and Arvilla (Brown) Waseen. Her father was Superintendent of a coal dock and her mother was a homemaker until the children were in school and then she worked as a clerk in a department store.

Dorothy grew up in Superior, Wisconsin, graduated from Superior Central High School in 1936. While in school she was active in the French Club. Dorothy and Doris were both high school cheerleaders. After graduation she attended Superior Business College. She then worked in a doctors office prior to taking the Civil Service exam. In December 1941 Dorothy went to work for the Department of the Army Ordinance at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. shortly after the Pentagon was built. After the war, she applied for work in Germany but instead ended up going to Japan. It was in Japan that she met her first husband, John Tierney. They were married August 28, 1946. Their union was blessed with four children, Patricia, John, Susan & Kathleen. As a result of her husband’s work with IBM, the family lived in Minneapolis, MN from 1949 – 1952. In 1952 the family moved to Albuquerque, NM. It was in 1966 that Dorothy’s husband John died only 2 days after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage.

Dorothy began working for IBM and worked with them until she married James Michel in 1972. As James was in the business of reviving hotels and restaurants, they moved eight times in the nine years they were married. James died of cancer in 1981.

Dorothy then moved to Mesa, Arizona. Where she would live with her sister Doris until 2006. Her life revolved around her family and her church. She served on the staff of Victory Lutheran from 1984 until 1994.

On May 7, 2006 she was married to a fellow church member, Tom Richards. They were married in the presence of her family and her church family. This was yet another wonderful chapter in a life that was richly blessed by a God who brought good out of even difficult situations. Dorothy died on August 21, 2011. She wants her life to be remembered as a legacy of blessings because of her faith in God. She believes her life was blessed because she sang and laughed a lot. She loved her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, singing over seventy years in church choirs, singing duets with her sister Doris, traveling to places like Ireland, England, Hawaii and Portugal, volunteering in her church and 4-H while her children were at home. She was honored for her lay volunteer work by the Grand Canyon Synod of the ELCA with a special award.

She is survived by her husband Thomas, her children Patricia (Jay) Butler, John (Cathy) Tierney, Susan (Daniel) Baca, Kathleen Tierney; Grandchildren Adam, Bridget, Jarrod, Zachary, Sean, Trevor, and Matthew; Great Grandchildren Sam and Jonas, Thomas’ children Tom, Jeff, Scott and Greg; numerous Grandchildren and Great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters Doris & Beverly, and her brother Marshall.

Services will be held at Victory Lutheran Church in Mesa, Arizona on Sunday August 28, 2011 at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Arizona Humane Society, Banner Gardens Hospice House, or Victory Lutheran Church. Arrangements entrusted to Mariposa Gardens (480) 830-4422