Robert Len Richardson

Robert Len Richardson, Ph.D., 1942 - 2026
It is with deep love and gratitude for his life that we announce the death of Dr. Robert Len Richardson, who passed away on February 25, 2026, at 83 years of age after living with Parkinson's disease for approximately twenty years. He lived most recently in Sacramento California and for the past two years, he was cared for with compassion and dignity with hospice support.
Born in Annapolis Junction, Maryland on June 11, 1942, he built a life rooted in both intellect and the land. Although raised in comparative poverty, he put himself through school finally obtaining a PhD in psychology, the subject he had decided to pursue while working at a psychiatric hospital in his early twenties. He devoted his professional life to helping others as a psychologist, offering wisdom, patience, and steady guidance to countless individuals and families. He obtained his pilot's license in his early forties and purchased a couple small planes throughout his life (his favorite was his Mooney). He loved flying and flew to his office in Coalinga and, for enjoyment, throughout both the US and Mexico often accompanied by his wife or daughters.
In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Richardson was also an almond farmer in Fresno, California where he found joy in the rhythms of the seasons and the quiet rewards of tending the earth. Farming reflected his character — steady, hardworking, and deeply connected to growth and renewal.
Parkinson's shaped the later decades of his life, but it never defined his spirit. Through twenty years of illness, he demonstrated resilience, courage, and grace. Even as his body grew weaker, his kindness, humor, and love for his family remained strong.
He will be remembered for his thoughtful nature, his dedication to his work, his commitment to the land, and above all, his devotion and loyalty to his family. He organized annual trips, often flying with his three daughters to remote places such as the Sawtooth Mountains, the Cascades, and Vancouver Island. He was adventurous and loved road trips and exploring out of the way places, sometimes scaring the bejesus out of his family when driving on treacherous horse trails that he called roads. For years he had a 10-ft log in his house that he'd pulled up from a beach and over a cliff using his old mercury station wagon and a chain. He loved tractors, coconut ice cream, and crab cakes.
He is survived by his lovely and devoted wife Linda, his daughters Heather Tyree and her husband Eric Tyree, Elise Willmeth, Cara Ballan, his grandchildren Kate Bondurant and her husband Charlie, Kristine Ballan, and Evan Tyree.