Ruth Louise ‘Judy’ Richards

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Here is a simple test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: if you are alive, it isn’t.

Ruth Louise “Judy” Richards passed away peacefully in her home on Aug. 2, 2012.  Her mission on Earth has ended.  She was born on Oct. 29, 1915 in Minneapolis, Minn., when Woodrow Wilson was president. She graduated a proud Golden Gopher from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in art, when very few women were earning college degrees.  In the late 1930s she moved to California with family members. She went to work for Columbia Pictures as a cartoon animator. She met the love of her life, Don, while working at The Canteen in Hollywood. They were married on June 1, 1942, in Monterey. Short vacations would take her to Laguna Beach, a city that she loved. She and family members moved to Laguna Beach after purchasing a fourplex that she found for sale in the newspaper while Don was stationed at an Army post in Alaska .

Michael was born in 1949 and Monica in 1953. In 1955 Ruth and Don purchased the home that Ruth lived in until her death. Richards was a stay at home mom until she found her calling. She went to work at the Beach and Boulevard Womens’ clothing store in Laguna Beach in the late ’60s.  She loved it!  She never drove a car, so she walked just about everywhere she needed to go.  She was still working at a dress store in Laguna until she was 85–walking to town as well.

She loved to go to Susi Q in Laguna and play bingo and have lunch.  Books on Tape allowed her to continue to ‘read’ after her vision loss.  She never met a meal she didn’t like.  Up until the loss of her vision last September, she prepared all of her own meals.

Ruth and Don were married for almost 40 years. Don passed away in 1981. She cared for her brother, Bill, until his death in December 2008. She was a kind and loving wife, mother and person.

She is survived by her children, Michael and Monica; granddaughter Emerald; son in law Mark; loving caretakers Ellen, Gladys, Brooke, Virginia, Helen and Sue; Maureen who visited her every Sunday and brought her communion for months; Paula who drove her to church; and neighbors Bev, Duane, Barb, Doug and Laura who drove her to bingo.

A rosary will be said for Richards on Aug. 21, at 10 a.m. followed by a mass at 11 a.m. Both services will be at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, 1042 Temple Terrace.

In lieu of flowers, tax deductible donations in Richard’s name can be made to AgeWell Senior Services, 24300 El Toro Road, Bldg. A-Suite 2000, Laguna Woods, Calif., 92637 or a donation in her memory to the Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus, www.shrineofstjude.com.  A reception will follow the services.

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