Eva was born on July 23, 1935 in Omaha, Nebraska to Roy Lee Phelps and Eva Fern (McCart) Phelps. She graduated from Center High School in Kansas City, Missouri in 1953. She started working at Baptist Medical Center in Kansas City in 1966. On March 7, 1974, Eva married James Richardson at Marlborough Baptist Church. Eva retired from Baptist Medical Center as a Unit Clerk on July 23, 1997. She worked as a self-employed upholsterer from 1997 to 2013.
Eva was a member of the Nall Avenue Baptist Church. She worked in the nursery at the church. Eva also worked with the Marlborough Coalition to teach gardening to children.
Eva was preceded in death by her parents, her son Thomas Richardson, her sisters Mary “Helen” (Phelps) Stevens, Doris (Phelps) Johnston, and Myra (Phelps) Medlin and her brother Robert “Bob” Phelps.
Eva is survived by her husband of 45 years James “Jim” Richardson; her daughters Virginia “Ginnie” (Richardson) Messick, Tina (Hudson) DeCavele, Diane (Hudson) Voliva and Linda (Hudson) Morris; her sons John Richardson and James “Jim” Hudson, Jr.; sons-in-law Michael DeCavele, Lon Messick, Daniel Voliva and James “Pat” Morris; daughters-in-law Nicole (Ricci) Richardson, Gina Hudson and Bonnie Richardson Lapee; her brother Roy Phelps, Jr.; 15 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
A Visitation will be held from 5:00pm to 7:00pm on Thursday, December 12 at Mt. Moriah, Newcomer & Freeman Funeral Home at 10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City, Missouri 64131. A Funeral Service will take place at 11:00pm on Friday, December 13 at the funeral home. A Committal Service and Burial will follow the service in Mount Moriah Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in Eva’s name to Nall Avenue Baptist Church, 6701 Nall Avenue, Prairie Village, Kansas 66208.