Rhea. Richardson III

Rhea W. Richardson, III TAMPA,FL - Rhea W. Richardson, III passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 18, 2018 in Tampa, FL. He is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, Jane, sons Ted (Lauren) and Kit (Dianne), and grandchildren Lila, Eli, Bess, and Ben. Born June 27, 1947 in Macon, GA, Rhea grew up in Dalton, GA where he graduated from Dalton High School. He earned a Bachelor of Science from Mercer University in Macon and briefly taught school at Warner Robins High School. He earned a DMD from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston and was a captain in the U.S. Air Force at Hanscomb Field, MA. He practiced dentistry in Columbia for 37 years and was one of the best. He was a member of the Greater Columbia Dental Association and lifetime member of the American Dental Association. Rhea and Jane were both members of Spring Valley Presbyterian Church for over 30 years. He also coached soccer for many of his sons' soccer teams. He was an avid Georgia Bulldawg fan and loved to quote the great Larry Munson ("Lindsay Scott, Lindsay Scott, Lindsay Scott!"). He also loved to tell jokes, his favorite comic being Lewis Grizzard. He had a sweet tooth and loved Coca Cola, cookies, and making ice cream. He couldn't eat a meal without having some form of freshly grilled meat. He was an active man and enjoyed tennis, running, sailing, and fishing with his sons. Rhea loved to dance and listened to country music, southern rock, and the Rolling Stones. He was also meticulous about his landscaping and loved beautifying his yard with flowers and hidden fairy gardens. Rhea's true loves were his wife and family. His favorite place was the beach and he was great at hiding treasure for his grandchildren and building sand castles for them. Rhea and Jane retired to Florida to be closer to grandchildren and he was able to spend his last years amongst family.