Walter Samuel Richardson II

Walter was born on August 22, 1930, in Palm Beach, Florida, to Walter Samuel Richardson and Rosa Harris Richardson. As a young boy, he lived briefly in Washington, D.C., and Montgomery, Alabama, but after coming to Tallahassee at the age of 6, he never left. A graduate of Leon High School, Walter attended Sewanee Military Academy and Florida State University. After a stint in the Air Force and a career running a family business, the Colonial Hotel, Walter started and ran the Richland Development Corporation, which developed the Richland subdivision in Tallahassee. He retired from the State of Florida as a purchasing director.

A devoted family man, spending time with his wife and daughters was Walter’s greatest joy. In addition to time spent with family, Walter’s other great love was the American railroad. Starting from boyhood, he enjoyed reading about trains, traveling on them, and chasing them. His favorite railroad was the Seaboard Railroad and his favorite trip by rail, was the Journey to Yesterday, taken in 1959. In addition to his family and trains, Walter loved college football (particularly the Florida State Seminoles and the Alabama Crimson Tide), and good food of all kinds, particularly when cooked by his wife. He had a towering intellect, appreciated interesting conversation, and was an eternally curious person. To share something with him was to know you had shared something with someone who would remember that information for the remainder of their days.

He was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Josephine (Jo) Richardson, and daughters Jo Anne Richardson, Tallahassee, FL, Susan Richardson (Eric Larsen), Edmonds, WA, and Carol Richardson Marty (Andy), Lynnwood, WA.

Walter will be deeply missed and his family’s hearts are broken. They will honor his life at a private gathering. They also wish to offer a special thanks to the loving staff at Big Bend Hospice. Donations can be made in his name to Big Bend Hospice or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.