Joan Coombs Richard

1921 - 2016

Joan Coombs Richard

Age: 95 • Mansfield Place

Joan Coombs Richard, age 95, died suddenly on Wednesday, November 23, 2016 at Mansfield Place in Essex Junction, Vermont. Joan was in the company of her daughter, Suzanne Richard, her son-in-law Roger Dunn, and several caregivers and staff. Her passing followed a long, but spirited journey with dementia.

Born on June 9, 1921 to Ralph Coombs and Irene Berry, Joan grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts. She graduated from Skidmore College in 1943 as a Physical Education major. While employed at the YWCA in Springfield, Massachusetts she was introduced on a blind date to her future husband, William Ralph Richard. They married in 1947 and resided in Ann Arbor, Michigan where Bill attended the University of Michigan to complete his doctorate degree. Here, Carol, the first of three daughters was born. Joan and Bill moved to Dayton, Ohio for Bill's continued employment at Monsanto. In 1961, after Suzanne and her younger sister Janet were born, the family moved westward to St. Louis, Missouri to accommodate another job opportunity for Bill. Residing in the suburb of Kirkwood for over forty years, Joan, in addition to being a wife and mother and volunteering at several non-profits, established herself as the baker of the best chocolate chip cookies. Joan's genuine smile of greeting and her willingness to listen without judgement made her a favorite. The Richard home was often frequented by friends of her teenaged daughters who never forget Joan's generous supply of cookies and unlimited kindness. When Joan's daughters were grown, Joan joined the staff at the Kirkwood YMCA enthusiastically sharing her love for swimming with people of all ages including small infants and their parents.

Joan's athletic talent kept her on the move pursuing her passion for tennis, swimming and sailing. Harboring an uncharacteristic competitive nature when it came to sports, Joan in her 60s was awarded several medals in the St. Louis Senior Olympics for both swimming and tennis. Joan and Bill enjoyed traveling which included sailing in the Caribbean and Mediterranean. With Bill acting independently as an ambassador of science, Joan and Bill ventured to Japan and China. A remarkable, unplanned experience swimming solo with a wild dolphin off the coast of Sanibel Island, Florida was described by Joan as one of her happiest moments.

For nearly twenty years, Joan and Bill with their extended family spent a portion of each summer at Squam Lake in New Hampshire. Here, Joan's love of family, fresh water lakes, mountains and loons was passed on to yet another generation. Joan liked to draw and paint and perhaps best expressed her lifelong artistic talent with her camera. She was relentless about snapping photos despite the protests of her daughters. Eventually, her family learned to appreciate Joan's efforts capturing and preserving images of many family members, friends and events.

After Bill's death in 1990, Joan lived in the family home for twelve more years. In her 80s, Joan decided to return to her beloved New England and moved to Vermont to be near her middle daughter, Suzanne, her husband Roger and their two children Allan and Jennifer. Living close to family and especially her grandchildren brought Joan great joy. Joan lived independently for more than a decade at Shelburne Bay Retirement Community. Once again, the kindness she showed to others, often demonstrated by gifting her famous cookies, established new friendships. In the company of women friends, Joan would often be off swinging a tennis racket at the local health club or on a day trip picnicking, bird watching and exploring Vermont's natural beauty. For the past year Joan has resided at Mansfield Place where Joan's family is very grateful for the many staff members who so professionally and compassionately cared for Joan.

Joan is survived by her daughter Suzanne, Roger, Allan and Jennifer, six nephews and nieces and their respective spouses, partners and children. She was predeceased by her parents, her husband Bill, her siblings Lucile Johnson and Ralph Coombs and his wife Cathy, and her daughters Janet and Carol. The family will host a private service in the coming spring to celebrate Joan's life and commemorate her exceptional kindness and quiet strength.

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