James Harold Richardson III

James Harold Richardson, beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, husband, uncle and friend, passed away peacefully on May 7, 2026. He lived 95 and a half very full years, the longest of any person before him in his family tree.

Born August 23, 1930, in Chicago, one year into the Great Depression, Jim was an only child. He was named after his grandfather, and also after his father (who went by his middle name, Harold), who was a bacteriologist, an extreme extrovert, and a tinkerer who loved experimenting, inventing, testing and making. His mother, Frances, was a painter and an introvert, but also a pathbreaker (she sold candy door to door to pay her way through the Chicago Institute of Art), whose world was one of observation, experience, and artistic expression. Jim’s parents thus exposed him to two very different world views. As he once wrote, “My mother left conversation to my father, a task he enjoyed. She enjoyed the business of life, the important issues of the moment.”

As a child, Jim loved animals (rabbits and especially dogs) and taking things apart. In an autobiography he wrote when he was perhaps ten, he told how, at just two, his mechanical prowess was already renowned, and his grandfather, a plumber, “gave me a faucet to work on. I took it apart and put it back together again, much to his amazement.” He ended the autobiography with, “I do not know what my future will be, but I'm going to try to be a mechanical engineer someday. And join the Navy for three years as a ship mechanic on a destroyer.”

As a boy, Jim started a business repairing bicycles out of the family home, earning $15 in a summer (about $350 today), but his “Bike Shop” sign drew the attention of a local official, who allowed him to continue only if he removed the sign. Fixing and building radios became his next passion, along with woodworking in the basement alongside his father, and visiting Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. He also was bitten by the sailing bug, thanks to a co-worker of his father’s who would take them out on Lake Michigan and let Jim be helmsman.

After graduating from Lyons Township High School, in LaGrange, IL, Jim for a time worked on race cars and motorcycles, acquiring and rebuilding a Harley Davidson Hydra-Glide. When the Korean War broke out in 1950, he joined the navy to avoid being drafted in the army, riding his Harley across the country to enlist in San Diego. Four years of service in the SEABEES – the Navy’s construction corps – in the Philippines followed, where he worked as a truck mechanic.

After his service was completed in 1954, Jim decided to stay in California. He had family there, and famously helped his aunt by hand-digging her a swimming pool. He enrolled first at LA City College for a semester, then spent two years at UCLA. While there, he started visiting a YWCA-affiliated Coop for meals and social events, where he met Helen Kiechle. They began dating, going for drives and taking in Harry Belafonte concerts. Jim and Helen were married in August 1958.

For a few years, Jim tried to make it as a business owner, first as a clockmaker, making beautiful grandfather and mantel clocks, then partnering up with his woodworker father-in-law to provide piece work services. But, by 1965, with two children to feed and a third on the way, Jim decided he needed a reliable income. He took a job with toolmaker Parker Hannifin, eventually running their sales operations in seven states before jumping to Proto Tools. As a result, he traveled quite frequently, and the family relocated several times around California (San Pedro, Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Moraga, Laguna Beach) and even for a year to Minnesota.

By 1972, Jim again had the itch to be his own boss, and opened a Sir Speedy print shop franchise in Santa Ana, CA. But the oil crisis and difficult economy of the 1970s made the going difficult. He put in long hours, willing the business to grow through that very difficult decade (his success at one point touted in a local TV news feature), and helped in large part by Helen working in the business as their boys went through high school and college.

In 1984, Jim stepped away from the business to again earn more steady income in tool and hydraulics sales, and he also taught some courses at Cal State Fullerton as an adjunct. In 1991, he returned to the printing business for a difficult four years before selling the company and setting off on an active retirement. He and Helen divorced in 1994.

From 1995 to 2000, Jim traveled the country in a 35-foot RV he restored himself, visiting family, exploring backroads, researching genealogy, climbing the Rocky mountains, and volunteering at national parks. All the while, he was searching for a place to settle down: somewhere near the ocean that offered good health care services and a vibrant, boat-friendly community. He had decided to lean into his lifelong passion for sailing and wanted to restore and sail wooden-hulled boats.

The community Jim fell in love with was New Bern, North Carolina. Starting in 2000 (at 70), he worked for Ken Williams and others to set aside money to buy land and create the boat-building barn of his dreams. He was physically and socially active in the community, proud of having received both bronze and gold medals in the New Bern Bridge Run and, after losing sight in one eye, became an active supporter and radio reader for Radio Reading Services of North Carolina, even serving on their board.

In 2002, Jim bought two parcels (30 acres) of land along the Upper Broad Creek in New Bern, and in 2006 began building his barn – a passion that became the epicenter of his life. Until, that is, he met and married Barb Howlett, in 2011. They met at church in Bridgeton and found they shared a love for animals and the land, for history and stories. Jim became deeply involved in helping her restore her home in downtown Bridgeton. But in September 2018, disaster struck when Hurricane Florence subsumed the house, making it uninhabitable. Months of itinerant struggle followed, including living in hotels and in a borrowed RV, and leaning on the generous help of friends. Then, in 2019, Samaritans House, Franklin Graham’s humanitarian aid ministry stepped in to build Barb and Jim a new home that their FEMA settlement could never have afforded. Both Jim and Barbara were overwhelmed by this miracle and unexpected blessing. It was on the site of the old home, and it was both stormproof and accessible. Finally, on the cusp of their 90s, Jim and Barb could rest. But, of course, they did not, continuing their active lifestyle.

Throughout the “third act” that was his retirement, Jim was an avid student of history, especially of the Civil War and his family’s colorful past. He was a passionate reader until his visual and mental decline deprived him of that pleasure. He loved vanilla ice cream (and hated carrots); he loved spending time with Barb in the garden and going out for barbeque; he particularly enjoyed hosting visiting children and grandchildren, taking them sailing, or sharing stories about his long and rich life. In his later years, he also explored his artistic talents, doing quite a bit of writing – both stories and family histories.

Jim is survived by his wife Barbara and her children, Becky, Jeff, and Michael; his three sons Jim, Paul, and Michael; his six grandchildren James Harold Richardson V (Jake), Matt, Carly, Frannie, Sarah, and Christopher; Jake’s wife Kelly, Matt’s wife Antra, Carling’s fiancé Michael, and Christopher’s partner Julie; and his two great-grandchildren, James Harold Richardson VI (Hank) and Emil.

While Jim was a professing believer in Jesus Christ most of his life, it was in his final few decades that his faith and calling to serve others became paramount in his life to the benefit of the many people he encountered along his journey. The last entry in an old journal from 30 years ago described how he viewed this calling and led his life: “Faith is not getting man’s desires accomplished in heaven. It's getting heaven’s done on earth.” We will miss his zest for life, unmatched curiosity and deep love for his Lord, family and friends.

A celebration of Jim’s life will be held at Bridgeton United Methodist Church, 510 B St, Bridgeton, North Carolina, on May 30, 2026, at 11 am.

Cotten Funeral Home & Crematory is honored to serve the Richardson family.