Marie Richardson

Marie Balfe Richardson died on March 12, 2014 after a long illness.

Marie was born in Beacon, N.Y. in 1930, the hometown of her parents, John T. Balfe and Ann Keating Balfe. She grew up in Westchester County, N.Y., the second of four daughters.

She graduated from Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Ind. in 1952. She began her teaching career in Indiana and continued it in New York. While taking graduate courses at New York University she met her future husband, James F. Richardson.

Marie and Jim had five children: Moira (John Fenwick), Pierce (Karen), Kieran (Lynn Savage), Margaret (Jan Karl Lorenzen) and John (Stina Booth).

Both Marie and Jim taught in New York and New Jersey before moving to Ohio in 1967, when Jim accepted a faculty position at The University of Akron. Marie taught in Ohio for 15 years and subsequently ran a home decorating business. Marie cherished her house and garden and spent much of her limited free time beautifying them.

In 2005 illness led Marie and Jim to sell their beloved house to move to a continuing care retirement facility in Arizona close to two of their children, who were incredibly supportive during her last years.

Marie is also survived by five grandchildren: Shannon Johnson, Ben, Brian, Dan and Shaun Richardson, and her sisters, Eileen Balfe Harrigan and Margaret Balfe.

The family recommends that those who wish to make remembrances do so to the Alzheimer’s Association.