George Sonny Edward Richardson

George Edward “Sonny” Richardson, age 68, of Lynnfield, passed away on February 24 while skiing in Zermatt, Switzerland. He was the husband of Gayle (Gunderson) Richardson, with whom he shared 39 years of marriage.

Born and raised in Lynn, he was the son of the late George and Julia (Sheridan) Richardson. He lived in Lynnfield for the past 26 years.

Mr. Richardson attended Lynn English High School, Class of 1959, was a member of the 1957-1958 State Champion hockey team, and was inducted into the LEHS Hall of Fame in 2008. He graduated from Dartmouth College, Class of 1966, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. He played hockey at Dartmouth and was an active member of Phi Delta Alpha. He then received a J.D. in 1971 from Boston University School of Law.

Mr. Richardson has practiced law in the Boston area for 40 years. He was a partner with the law firm of Johnson & Clapp in Boston from 1977 to 1997. This was followed by his own private practice in Swampscott.

Mr. Richardson was a member of the U.S. Army from 1962 to 1965 and was stationed in Japan for two years. He was a Foreign Service Officer in the U.S. Department of State during which time he was assigned as Vice Consul and Third Secretary to the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Korea. From 1987 to 2010 he had acted as a trial advisor at Harvard Law School’s Trial Advocacy Workshop. He was involved in various other community organizations, such as My Brothers Table, where he was a board member from 1996 to 2000. He was currently a member of the Board of St. Stephen’s Tower Association and served on the City of Lynn Planning Board from 1972 to 1980, acting as Chairman from 1975 to 1978. He was a member of the Boston Bar Association and of the Massachusetts Bar Association. He was a member of the Vestry of St. Stephen’s Memorial Episcopal Church, Lynn from 1992 to 1994, and then from 1997 to 1999. He was a Lay reader from 1997 to 2008. His interests, among others, included traveling, gardening and reading.

In addition to his wife, he leaves two daughters, Christina Richardson of Brooklyn, NY and Susannah Richardson of Somerville; a son, First Lieutenant Douglas Richardson of Peabody; two sisters, Ann Davis of Henderson, NV and Grace Richardson Henderson of New York, NY; nieces, nephews and countless friends and colleagues.

A funeral service will be held on Monday, March 7th at 1:00 PM at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 127 Summer Street, Lynnfield. Burial will be in Pine Grove Cemetery, Lynn. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited. Visiting hours will be at the Cuffe-McGinn Funeral Home, 157 Maple Street, Lynn on Sunday 2-5 PM. Donations in his memory may be made to the George E. Richardson Scholarship Fund of Lynn English High School, 50 Goodridge Street, Lynn, MA 01902 Attn: Guidance Department or to the National Kidney Foundation, 85 Astor Avenue, Suite 2, Norwood, MA 02062.