Barbara Maude Richards

Bobbie left us unexpectedly on Sunday, October 28, 2012. She passed peacefully in her sleep next to her husband of 51 years at their Bellevue home. She is survived by her husband James (Jim) K. Richards, their adult children Bill, Steve, Kathleen, and Brian, her brother Colin White of Belfast, Northern Ireland, and her grandchildren Coe, Evan, and Carli.

Bobbie was born in Belfast, and grew up on a farm in nearby Moneymore, with her parents Tom and Violet White and her elder brother Colin. There she developed a love for horses and participated in English-style riding and jumping competitions. She came to the United States in 1957, and eventually served as a stewardess for United Airlines for 3 years. Bobbie met her husband-to-be and life-long pal on a blind date on New Year’s Eve, 1958. They eventually married in Seattle in June, 1961. In 1964, Bobbie became a naturalized American citizen.

In 1965, Bobbie and Jim settled in Bellevue. In 1969, Bobbie and Jim acquired their first yacht, a 28-ft Tollycraft. Bobbie and her skipper would spend the next 42 years yachting throughout Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, Canadian Gulf islands, and Desolation Sound, as active members of Meydenbauer Bay Yacht Club in Bellevue. In 1982, Bobbie served as the Mates president of MBYC. Over the years she chaired various club committees, and was First Lady while Jim was Commodore in 2006.

Bobbie was a tireless mom and wife, working full time raising and nurturing four children. She always welcomed her children’s friends into her home, making them feel comfortable. She served as a Cub Scouts Den Mother, Girl Scouts Leader, and founded the Lochmoor Guild for Children’s Orthopedic Hospital. She later volunteered at the Eastside Children’s Hospital Thrift Shop. She always encouraged her children’s hobbies and interests.

With Bobbie’s passing, no words can describe the loss felt by all of the friends, neighbors, and family whose lives she touched. Her warmth, energy, and genuine love and friendship will be missed forever.

A memorial service will be held at Sunset Hills Memorial Park, 1215 145th Pl SE, Bellevue, on Thursday, November 8, at 1:00 pm, followed by a reception at Meydenbauer Bay Yacht Club.

In Bobbie’s memory, donations may be made to the MBYC Endowment Trust, Children’s Hospital, or the San Juan Preservation Trust. Remembrances may be shared at www.sunsethillsfuneralhome.com.