Judy Sue Richardson

Judy Sue Richardson

October 30, 2025

Judy Richardson, Professor Emerita of Virginia Commonwealth University, passed away on October 30, 2025, at the age of 80 after an exemplary life and a brilliant career as a teacher and writer. She is survived by a family who loved her dearly, including her husband, Terry Pettit; three sons, Kevin Cox of Richmond (Rebecca), Darren Cox of Laguna Hills, California (Jolin), and Andrew Pettit of Richmond (Kim); four granddaughters, Cora, Julia, Gloria, and Eve; a brother, Dale Richardson (Nancy); and a sister, Kim Richardson (Steve). She was predeceased by her parents, Wilfred and Jean Richardson, and two brothers, Ronald and Gary. She leaves as well many friends and former students who loved and admired her. Born in Illinois, Judy grew up in Wayne, PA, and attended college in North Carolina, graduating from UNC-Greensboro. While working toward a Ph.D. in Education at UNC-Chapel Hill, she organized and managed a reading center for at-risk children at Averett College, Danville, VA. Upon receiving the doctorate, she taught for several years at Georgia State University in Atlanta before coming to Virginia Commonwealth University in 1976. She retired in 2008. As an educator, Judy's overriding goal was to promote and increase literacy. She instructed a generation of students in the methods of teaching reading and achieved many awards and honors along the way. Her textbook, "Reading to Learn in the Content Areas," was praised by reviewers as a "pioneering text" and "one of the most popular and effective books on the market." In fact, it was the best-selling text in her area for years. After retirement, Judy renewed a lifelong ambition to write fiction. Numerous short stories followed, and several were published in online journals. Judy was never happier than when she received notice that a story of hers would be read by many people. Judy Richardson clearly was born to help others, and she did so far beyond the classroom. She spent two happy and productive years (2007-2008 and 2015-16) in North Macedonia as a Fulbright Scholar, mentoring university students who aspired to be teachers. In Richmond, she found a special joy in sponsoring refugee families from Somalia and Ethiopia. In sum, Judy was a remarkable and beautiful person, and demonstrably a great teacher. The world was made larger and better by her presence and is much diminished in her absence.

Friends of Judy are invited to join her family in a time of remembrance on Saturday, 15 November, from 3 to 5 p.m., in the Meeting Room of Brandermill Woods Health Care Communities, 2100 Brandermill Parkway, Midlothian, VA.