Dean Dudley Richards III, MD Dr. Dean Richards, a Kansas City internist, family man and jokester, died on Aug. 15 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 68. Dean Dudley Richards III was born on Mar. 7, 1951, in Lawrence, the oldest of six children. His parents, Dean "Tutt" Dudley Richards Jr. and Catherine Jane (Scott) Richards, were the publisher/owner and editor, respectively, ofThe BaldwinLedgernewspaper. Dr. Richards' early childhood followed his father's journalism career from Baldwin to Kansas City, Prairie Village and Omaha, before settling back into Baldwin in 1956. As a child, Dr. Richards showed a tremendous gift for the natural sciences. From astronomy to zoology, his thirst for the natural world was unquenchable. He was bold in pursuing his interestshe delighted in sitting on the roof to get a closer look at storms that roared overhead. He also loved fishing, blowing up things and, more respectably, scouting, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. He completed most of his schooling within a three-block radius of his family's home, starting at Baldwin Elementary School and finishing at Baker University. He received a Presidential Scholarship to Baker, graduating with a dual major in Chemistry and Biology. He was also an enthusiastic member of Delta Tau Delta. Dr. Richards attended the University of Kansas School of Medicine, belonged to theAlpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and completed his internal medicine residency at KU Medical Center.He served patients across Kansas City with aninternal medicine private practice from 1980 to 1989 and thenas a corporate wellness physician. Following in his parents' journalism footsteps, Dr. Richards also published articles inTheJournal of the American Medical Association(JAMA) andThe Pharos. Dr. Richards found chemistry with Nancy Christine (Olm) Richards in the Baker University chemistry lab. They married on June 28, 1975. Together, they raised four children, Dean IV, H. Christine, Daniel and David, in Stillwell and Leawood. The family traveled regularlyto the beaches of Hilton Head Island, SC and the mountains of Colorado. Dr. Richards enjoyed sharing his love of writing, art and photographyeven constructing a darkroom in his homeand was known for his encyclopedialike repository of knowledge and bad puns. In his retirement, Dr. Richards enjoyed gardening, watching the Kansas City Royals and attending their training camps. He always found time for his grandchildren, Demetrius, Olivia and Max, to discuss nature, tell jokes and go fishing. After dealing with 40 years of cats who liked his wife better, Dr. Richards finally enjoyed the company of a cat, Lucky, who liked him more. Dr. Richards' parents preceded him in death. In addition to his wife, children and grandchildren, he is survived by his siblings, Nancy Jane, Susan (and husband, Karl), Scott (and wife,Terrie), John (and wife, Nancy), Kip (and wife, Denise); cousin, Steve Richards; daughter-in-law, Shakeena (Hill) Richards; son-in-law, Seth Gregg; mother-in-law, Chloe (Funk) Olm; many nieces and nephews; and the Luckster. Memorial donations may be made to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), PO Box 49104, Baltimore, MD 21297 or www.nami.org. A memorial service will be held Saturday, Aug. 24 at 1:30 PM in the First United Methodist Church,704 Eighth St., Baldwin City, KS. Reception immediately following.