Joni Richards

1939 - 2023

Joni Richards
05/27/1939 - 04/30/2023
Joni Richards passed away of natural causes on April 30, 2023, with her husband and daughter by her side. Born on May 27th, 1939, in Los Angeles, California, Joni was a woman of extraordinary talent, charm, and energy. Her mother once told her she had "too much talent." In every endeavor, Joni rose to the top. She was a child actress in Hollywood, playing small parts alongside Humphrey Bogart and John Derek, and buying her family a car with just one week's wages. She also co-starred in a popular TV series called "Range Rider," featuring Jock Mahoney.

In her early twenties, Joni taught herself to play the Hammond organ, performing all around the L.A. area with her rock group Andromeda, even opening for bands Santana and Three Dog Night.

After discovering that motherhood and rock n' roll don't mix, she transitioned to sales and sales management, selling organs and pianos in Los Angeles, and then moving to Houston in the late 70s. Joni was a superstar in whatever she did, becoming one of the Top 10 Hammond organ salespeople in the country.

She later "broke the computer" at Brook Mays Music, selling so many Steinway and Yamaha pianos, the company had to reprogram their computer to accommodate her record sales volume.

For forty-four happy years, Joni was married to her husband David Richards, who now survives her. Anyone who met Joni quickly discovered how warm, funny, loving, "up," and entertaining she was, often greeting people with, "Hi, darlin'!"

A palm reader once told her she had an extraordinary number of loops, one per finger, which signified the ability to communicate. No surprise, she started Insight Personnel in the early 90s, where she won the Top Secretarial Placement Award three years running.

For the past twenty years, Joni built a wonderful business selling residential real estate. Her values and ethics were above reproach. Famously, she would talk people out of buying a house if it wasn't right for them.

Joni was predeceased by her parents, Winifred and Amos, and her sister, Mary Osborn. She is intensely missed by her husband David, daughter Stacey, her beloved grandchildren Dane and Kate DeNicola, her brother William Kirksey and his wife Marta, nephew Danny and his wife Krista, along with nieces, nephews, and many family members and adoring friends.

A remembrance will be held at a yet-to-be-determined date. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Dachshund Rescue at: https://dreamdachs.org/donate.php