Donald Lincoln Richardson

Army

OBITUARY FOR DONALD L. RICHARDSON

Donald Lincoln Richardson, 1928-2020

Donald Lincoln Richardson was born in Gloversville (population 18,432), New York on May 7, 1928 to Lincoln Henry Richardson and Gladys Putman Richardson. As an only child he received the full attention of his parents, who hoped that he would enter the Ministry. Don became a voracious reader of literature during his days at Gloversville High School and decided to major in English when he entered Syracuse University in 1946. He had a special affinity for Shakespeare.

After graduation, he was called into the U.S. Army. It was a difficult time for officers when Don completed his studies as the Korean War was beginning to flare up. But Don was most fortunate since he was assigned to Military Intelligence and studied Russian language at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA.

Don was pleased with the California climate and made up his mind to stay in the state after he served in Korea, Japan and on various other military installations.

After leaving the active army, he had long service in the U.S. Army Reserve. In his final years of duty, he was a Colonel and the Commandant of the Sixth Army Intelligence Training Army Area School.

During his civilian career, he taught English, Russian and ESL for 48 years in the Sequoia Union High School District. When Don started teaching at San Carlos High School in 1961, the district wished to experiment with Russian courses since the Soviet Union was ahead of the USA in space exploration. Timing was right and students flocked to his four levels of Russian during his twenty-two year stay (1961-1982) at the High School.

His students would become teachers, professors, a White House Press Secretary, Fortune 100 executives, lawyers, scientists, and people who aspire to their version of excellence.

When the Soviet Union was opening up (The Second Thaw) in the early 1960’s, Don spent a couple of summers studying at Moscow State University—an unprecedented opportunity for an American. One of the great disappointments in Don’s life was the district’s closing of San Carlos High School. However, he was always able to adapt and went to teach at Sequoia High School and at The Adult School. By this time interest in Russian was waning, so he primarily taught all levels of English. No matter where he taught, students found the experience of being in his class a memorable one. When he took ill in the last months of his life, over two hundred seventy five students wished him well on Facebook, recalling his profound influence on their lives.

With his first wife Alice, Don had two children, a daughter Hildy and a son Link, who passed away at age 42. The name Lincoln was an honored one in his family, and if one goes back far enough, Don’s ancestor was a Union soldier in the Civil War.

Hildy is a gifted artist who has two children, Aaron and Lindsay, making Don a proud grandfather. Lindsay made Don a great-grandfather with the birth of a daughter Waverly Grace last summer. Don also has two step daughters, Nica and Margie, with his second wife Tania, another Russophile and dedicated "Baba" to his grandchildren.

He loved skiing, golf, tennis and freshwater fishing with his grandson in Canada’s Arctic Circle as well as in a Redwood City lake he affectionately called “The Mud Hole.”

Don was always pleasantly surprised that he lived into his nineties because his parents died in their sixties. He made great use of the last twenty years of his life reading everything he could get his hands on. His favorite writers in his old age were Donna Leon and Anton Chekhov, especially such short stories as “Gooseberries” and “In the Ravine."

Don’s last two decades were further enriched by his friendship with a woman named Margie. They traveled together, went to concerts and restaurants and enjoyed playing cards.

Two years ago (May, 2018) Don had a wonderful 90th birthday at the Salazar Restaurant in Belmont. Students, colleagues, family and friends all came to honor a special man. Even Alex Trebek sent greetings.

Don died on the morning of Sunday, May 17 at 92 years of age at his apartment in San Carlos, California. He leaves thousands of students, friends and family with profound gratitude for his gifts of discipline, intellectual curiosity, service to others and humor. Farewell, Don. Or as we say in Russian Proshchai!

Vechnaya pamyat.

CELEBRATION OF LIFE Zoom Service Details

All are welcome to attend a Celebration of Life service to take place via Zoom webcam on Sunday, June 7, 10am PT-12pm PT. The last hour will be reserved for attendees to share fond memories.

Zoom link: ( click at 10am PT on Sunday, June 7): https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9701614867?pwd=cGVKeS9MdkRKVjR0UUcvYTVHYmV5UT09

Meeting ID: 970 161 4867

Password: 195140

Not sure how to join a Zoom call? Watch this youtube tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9isp3qPeQ0E

Email aarongannon@gmail.com to send a favorite photo/quote of Don by June 4 to be included in a photo slideshow to be shared during the Zoom service. Also send a favorite quote or poem to be compiled in a e-book to be shared at a later date.

An in-person service will take place at a future date, to be determined, as social distancing restrictions are lifted.