Loran Wesley Richardson

Loran Richardson of Berthoud, Colorado passed away peacefully surrounded by family on January 18, 2024, from Parkinson’s Disease. Loran was born in Elgin, Illinois, the first child of Lonnie James Richardson and Mary Alice Spring.

As a teen, Loran worked as a paperboy and at Baskin Robbins. He was active in softball. He graduated from Larkin High School in 1971, then attended Elgin Community College before obtaining his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana – Champaign in 1979. While working toward his degree, Loran worked for Dukane Corporation (intercom systems), Wabash Tape Co. (cassette tapes) and was involved in setting up the sound system at Harry Hopes Night Club, a popular music venue which hosted musicians such as Muddy Waters, John Prine, Tom Waits, Asleep at the Wheel, John Lee Hooker, Steve Goodman, and George Thorogood.

Loran accepted a job offer with STC/Storage-Tek and moved to Boulder, Colorado in 1979. He later worked for Integral Peripherals, Connor Peripherals, and Seagate Technology for 20 years before retiring in 2018.

While living in Colorado, Loran was active in golf, softball, and the APA Pool league. Loran served on the Board of Directors for the Boulder based Homebrewers Association/American Homebrewers Association for 25 years, from the late 1980’s to 2004, and helped guide the early development and success of the organization and including the Great American Beer Festival throughout those years. Loran was a champion of beer and homebrewing. He participated in the “Beer and Steer Thailand” in 1987 which included elephant trekking with homebrew aboard while visiting several hill tribes. In early 1993 Loran joined a group of Colorado Rockies Baseball season ticket holders and was constant to the end: one of only three out of the 14 original members.

In 2000 Loran met Debe McCarrick at Seagate Technology and later proposed while traveling in Italy. They married in 2002 at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on the Gospel Tent Stage with special friends in attendance. Loran and Debe continued to attend this festival many times over the years to celebrate their anniversaries with friends and family. Loran and Debe lived in Boulder, CO and later moved to Berthoud in 2018.

Loran’s passions were music, reading, cycling, geocaching, traveling, camping/ATVing, carpentry, home automation, brewing beer, art, poetry, and cooking. Loran mastered a recipe for the perfect coin style margarita. Loran was a longtime listener and contributor to KGNU Community Radio, and especially enjoyed listening to “Honky Tonk Heroes” on Saturday mornings.

Loran will be remembered for his love of music, his hats, and his Audi’s. Loran was a classy dresser, a great big-brother, a wonderful life-long friend to many, a loving husband and stepdad, and the best “Grampster” ever.

A long time Boulder friend perfectly describes Loran, “What really stuck with me as the years went by was Loran’s clarity of mind and his insight. He had a penetrating way of looking at a person before he spoke, and when he delivered an observation, an opinion, or an insight it was unusually perceptive and thought-provoking. He had a quality of quiet competence and confidence that was entirely justified. Loran was one of the good men.”

Loran is survived by his wife Debe (McCarrick) Richardson, his stepdaughter Amber Matsushima-Malmskog (John) of Longmont, his stepson Chad Brennan of Carter Lake, his step grandchildren: Devon Matsushima, Dylan Matsushima, Ayden Matsushima, Zoey Brennan, Richie Brennan, and Lily Brennan; his brothers Scott Richardson and Paul Richardson (Lou Stotts) of Elgin, IL; his sister Lisa Upchurch (Scott) of Kirkland, IL; his nephew Jeffrey Richardson (Erica) and their four children; Emma, Nolan, Warren, and Colton of Crystal Lake, IL.

He is also survived by his father-in-law and mother-in-law Dick and Barb McCarrick of Longmont; grandmother-in-law Rosella Ioerger of Loveland; sister-in-law Lori Vietor (Bruce) of Winona, MN; brother-in-law Rick McCarrick (Karen) of Roxton, TX; brother-in-law Mike McCarrick (Shirley) of Longmont, and many aunts, uncles and cousins.

Loran was preceded in death by his parents Lonnie and Mary Alice and aunts and uncles Irene Wiles, John Richardson, Robert Richardson, Nancy Birsa, Doris Norberg, and Anne Karolcik.

A private cremation will be held on January 27, 2024.

Loran’s Celebration of Life will be held on June 1, 2024 at 4:00 PM at Brookside Gardens located at 619 E County Road 8 in Berthoud, CO 80513 Kindly RSVP to: [email protected] by May 10, 2024

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes contributions to Parkinson’s Research (michaeljfox.org) or KGNU Community Radio (http://give.kgnu.org), in memory of Loran Richardson.