Thomas Wesley Richardson Sr.

Thomas Wesley Richardson, Sr. 95, went to be with the Lord on January 10, 2018 in Kennesaw, GA. A long time resident of Montgomery, Tom was born in Knoxville, TN on December 12,1922, the third of four children of Lois Ethel DeBerry and Leonard Anthony Richardson, Sr. His siblings were Leonard Anthony Richardson, Jr., Mary Margaret Luttrell and Lois Frances Mansfield who have all preceded him in death. Tom graduated from Knoxville High School and attended The University of Tennessee from 1940-1942 where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity. In 1943, Tom became a member of "The Greatest Generation", volunteering to join the Army Air Corp. He was recognized as the outstanding graduate of his cadet class and became the first pilot on the B-17 in the 8th Air Force..."Hell's Angels"...serving in the 303 Bomb Group out of Molesworth, England. Among his medals were the Air Medal with a bronze cluster, The European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 3 bronze stars and the Prisoner of War Medal for being a prisoner of the Russians after his plane was shot down and he crash landed in Poland. Tom was known as the "Lucky Pilot" because he never lost a crew member in battle. He knew it was not luck but God's providence and protection of him in all things. He was honorably discharged in October,1945.

In 1944,Tom married his dream girl, Adelyn Robbins Lipscomb of Columbia, SC. Tom and Adelyn were married for 63 years until her death in 2008. Their descendants are son, Thomas Wesley Richardson, Jr. (Susan Edenfield) of Powder Springs, GA. Their children are Thomas Wesley Richardson, III (Paige Greer) whose children are Adelyn Elizabeth, Thomas Wesley IV, and Greer Elyse of Franklin, TN; Paige Richardson Forrester (Nathanael Christian) whose children are Caroline Adelyn, Ashley Susan, Elizabeth Christian and Sarah Paige of Ft. Bragg, NC; and Nathan Edenfield Richardson, Sr. (Clare Holcomb) whose children are Rowan Mae, Esther Jane, Nathan Edenfield, Jr., Delaney Jay and Berta Brown of Germantown, TN. Tom and Adelyn's second son is Dr. Guy Lipscomb Richardson (Denise White) of Jackson, MS whose children are Dr. Eva Katherine Richardson Moore (Nathan Alexander) of Athens, GA and Dr. Joy Fleming Richardson of Rochester, MN. Their daughter is Adelyn Robbins Richardson (Janet Bull) of Asheville, NC whose children are Zachary Hunter Richardson-Bull of Asheville, NC and Jesse Robbins Richardson-Bull of Boston, MA.

After the war, Tom began his life long devotion to Auburn University, graduating in 1947 with a BS degree in Agriculture and serving as president of the Agricultural Club. Tom and Adelyn then moved to family land near Marion, AL where they farmed and raised dairy and beef cattle. After living in Greenville, AL for three years they settled in Montgomery in 1957. Tom was a salesman for several companies before founding Rich-Crest Homes in 1964 and becoming a home builder and a member of the Montgomery Home Builders Association until his retirement. A long time member of The Blue and Gray Colonels Association, Tom proudly presented his daughter and in turn, his three granddaughters at the Colonel's annual ball.

The years in Montgomery found Tom very involved in many christian and community organizations. He served as Chairman of the Board for Group Homes; President of Goodwill Industries; on the State Board of Associated Industries of Alabama and on the State Board of The Business Council of Alabama. Tom was a member of The Kiwanis Club of Montgomery for over 57 years at the time of his death and had been thoughtfully elevated to the status of Honorary Life Member. In 1989, Tom became the first Executive Director of Neighbors Who Care, the pilot program for the national organization that has become Neighbors in Christ. He worked as Chairman of the Board for both Group Homes for Children in Montgomery and Child Evangelism Fellowship and was a board member for Young Life of Montgomery. Tom was a member of The American Legion; the Eighth Air Force Historical Society where he served as Commander of the Central Alabama Wing; and The Order of Daedalians. In 2007, Tom was recognized as the Alabama Veteran of the Year representing the Eighth Air Force. In 2013, he was honored to be the Grand Marshall of the Veteran's Day Parade in Montgomery. A member of The Sons of the American Revolution for many years, Tom served that organization on many committees and as President of the Richard Montgomery Chapter as well as the Alabama Society. He was awarded the War Service Medal and the Patriot Medal given by SAR. Tom has also been honored and recognized by veteran's organizations in the Marietta, GA area.

Tom was currently a member of Young Meadows Presbyterian Church, in Montgomery and through the years in various Presbyterian churches, he taught Sunday School and Bible studies, served on their mission boards and as a deacon. Tom was always ready to give his testimony of how he was a child of the Lord and how God had watched over him and protected and cared for him through the years.

The funeral service honoring the life of Tom Richardson will be held on January 27, 2018 at 2:00 at The Alabama Heritage Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. James Simoneau officiating. Visitation will be from noon until the hour of the service. Burial will follow in The Alabama Heritage Cemetery with Military Honors. Grandsons and Great-grandsons will serve as pallbearers. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Young Meadows Presbyterian Church for their missions program: 5780 Vaughn Rd, Montgomery, AL 36116 or to Reformed Theological Seminary Scholarship Fund: 5422 Clinton Blvd., Jackson, MS 30209.