- Date Of Birth: September 25, 1939
- Date Of Death: February 27, 2016
- State: Michigan
Died Saturday morning February 27, 2016 in Allegan, MI. Norman was born September 25, 1939 in Kalamazoo, Michigan a son of Paul and Joyce (Gibson) Richards, Sr. He had been a Kalamazoo area resident most of his life and was president of J.A. Richards for many years before retiring. Norman was also a member of the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church; and the Kalamazoo Kiwanis Club. He had a typical childhood growing up in the Knollwood neighborhood in the 1940s, he enjoyed hiking and camping as a boy scout.
Music became an important part of his life, learning to play the clarinet and singing in choir at Kalamazoo Central High School from where he would graduate. Working in the family business at an early age he applied those lessons learned while delivering the Kalamazoo Gazette from his bike even in the winter. Norm studied business at Western Michigan University where he was in the R. O. T. C.. He would later become the president of the J. A. Richards Company. He served faithfully on the vestry of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Allegan. In his retirement, he enjoyed his part time job at Ace Hardware in Allegan.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Sally McNeil-Richards; and a sister, Kathryn Richards-Shields-Kellogg. He is survived by 4 children, Bruce (Mary Frances) Richards of Liege, Belgium; Andrew (Pam) Richards of Kalamazoo, Steve (Cyndi) Richards of Plainwell, and Greg (Kimberly) Richards of Batavia, IL; 8 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren; 3 brothers, Paul Richards of Kalamazoo, William Richards of Albion, MI, and Thomas Richards of Kalamazoo; his former spouses, Janet Richards and Georgia Stone; a special friend, Gari Voss of Allegan; and several nieces and nephews.
