Paul Russell Richards

He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia Dunning Richards, who passed away in November of 2006; his parents; and brothers, Dick and Bruce.

Paul is survived by his four children, Jeff Richards (Cynthia) of Atlanta, Timothy Richards (Janice) of Belleville, Laura Boyer (Joe) of Peoria and Lesley Hoffman (Stan) of St. Louis; plus many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was married to his beloved Patty for 53 years. They are together again.

Born at home in Peoria on April 29, 1930, to his Christian Scientist parents, Virginia Helen Roberts and Carl T. Richards, Paul was the youngest of three boys. He was a 1948 graduate of Peoria Central High School, where he excelled academically and athletically. He was an All-City running back and a top hurdler in the region. He will forever hold the record for the longest punt return in the annual Thanksgiving Turkey Day Peoria-Manual game.

He attended Illinois State Normal University, where he played football and was on the diving team, and graduated from Bradley University, where he became a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. He married his high school sweetheart and the love of his life, Patty Joan Dunning, at Trinity Lutheran Church on July 15, 1953, before promptly shipping out to the Korean Conflict, as a Special Agent of the U.S. Army Counter Intelligence Corps. After his Honorable Discharge, he completed his education and went to work for Caterpillar Tractor Company.

He and his growing family lived in Philadelphia, PA, Jacksonville, FL, Syracuse, NY, and Raleigh, NC, before returning to Peoria in 1967. He was transferred to Geneva, Switzerland, where he managed Caterpillar European sales training and product demonstrations from 1973 to 1976. He returned to Peoria and retired from Caterpillar in 1988.

Between consulting for numerous businesses as a writer and marketer, and teaching business writing throughout the country, he traveled extensively with Patricia around the world, visiting Europe, China, Alaska and Central America. His favorite place was the Tarn Region in his beloved southern France, a place he visited regularly. He skied in France and Switzerland, loved dogs, coached JFL into his 70s, handled business in East Germany, sailed across the Atlantic numerous times, owned a banjo, wrote and published of his trips to Hong Kong, segued in Saint Petersburg, Russia, was an accomplished woodworker, traveled through the Panama Canal, published in the WSJ, sailed the Aegean, painted, owned a boat, wrote poetry, and sang karaoke. He filled his life with intellectual rigor and physical action, influencing most all around him.

To the very end of his life, he was energetic, engaging and inquisitive. He never stopped reading, writing and pursuing a lifetime of learning. His humility, generosity, sense of humor and intelligence will be missed by his family, and his life example will be cherished forever.

Donations to OSF HealthCare Foundation, 530 NE Glen Oak Ave., Peoria, Illinois 61637, are dearly appreciated.