Esther Hall Snowdon Richmond

It is with deep sadness, the family of Esther Hall Snowdon Richmond wishes to announce her passing on August 3, 2025, at the age of 94. Esther, born in Springfield, Mass, February 6, 1931, was our mom, Aunt, Grandma, and Great Grandma. She was preceded in death by her parents, Bernard Little Snowdon, and Esther Hall Snowdon, her husband of fifty-five years, Earl L. Richmond, and her son-in-law, Yale H. Metzger.
Esther graduated from high school in Springfield, MA and earned an associate degree from Lasell College (now Lasell University), in Newton, MA. She met and married Earl, in July of 1952, after a whirlwind courtship that started on Cape Cod. They lived in Springfield, and then East Longmeadow, Mass. where Esther was a homemaker and became a mother of three young children. In 1959 Esther and Earl moved the family to Wausau, Wi, and lived there for ten years. While raising three children, Esther went back to college, earned a BS degree in Education and Home Economics from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point in 1966, and embarked on a teaching career at Wausau High School. In the summer of 1967, Earl, Esther, and family took a trip to Alaska that changed their lives. They fell in love with the state but had to go back to Wisconsin for two more years. In 1969, Esther accepted a job offer to teach Home Ec at the old Palmer High School. The Richmond family made Alaska their home for the next 56 years. In 1974, Esther earned a M. Ed. from the University of Alaska, Anchorage and continued to teach at the new Palmer HS until she retired in 1984.
Esther loved creative hobbies, her favorite was sewing, and she made an entire wardrobe of professional clothing for teaching. In 1971, she began to include pantsuits which were considered rebellious at the time, as female teachers were only allowed to wear dresses. Esther was an active member of the local teacher's union, MSEA. Esther and Earl bought the old Cook homestead and built a house and barn fronting the Palmer-Wasilla Hwy in 1971. They started the EE (Double E) Ranch, where they began to raise, board, race, and show quarter horses. A few years later they sold the "back 50" of the property to the Mat-Su Borough School District, which was convenient for Esther, because she could walk to work at the new Palmer High. Earl and Esther sold the PW Highway property and bought 160 acres on Fishhook Rd, in 1976. They settled there and developed the property into a subdivision called Family Ranchettes, where they briefly continued with the horse business, and then began building single family homes on the properties, until they retired. They eventually made a custom duplex for themselves, where Esther resided until her passing.
Esther was a mentor, friend, and a guiding light. Her bright, welcoming smile could put even the most anxious heart at ease, and she created a space where everyone felt seen and valued. Her kindness was quiet but powerful, and her patience seemed endless. She listened without judgement, offered guidance without ego, and believed in people even before they believed in themselves. Family was the most important thing to Esther; she loved her children and absolutely adored her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Every grand and great grandchild knew the location of the cookie drawer in Gram's kitchen.
Esther is survived by her three children Nancy Richmond-Bentley(Paul), Susan Richmond, Gordon Richmond(Cindy McKechnie); nephews and niece, Don(Linda), Ken(Robin), Terry(Penny), and Diane Helf: grandchildren, Bonnie(Jeremy) Hough, Waylon(Sarah)Knudsen, Joshua Pluid, Cullen, Cassandra, and Caitlin Richmond, Erin and Peter (Amy) Bentley; great niece and nephew, Alisha and Garrett(Ellissa) Helf; great grandchildren Brayden and Riley Reeves, Mason Knudsen, Kalen, Hazel Grace and Ella Richmond, Jaxon Helf, Eloise and Benjamin Bentley.
Everyone is invited to drop by for an informal Celebration of Life for Esther, at the Palmer Moose Lodge, September 7th 2pm-5pm. Food and beverages will be provided. The family will also have a private celebration, at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the New Palmer Public Library, Friends of the Palmer Public Library, https://www.palmerak.org/library/page/library-donations.