Frances “Lyvonne” Richmond passed away surrounded by family on Friday, November 17, 2023 at her assisted living facility in Memphis. We’ve all been looking for ways to avoid the 2024 Presidential election as well, so, good for you.
It’s hard to put 82 years into words. She was “Lyvonne” to those who knew her, and “Mema” to the grandchildren and great-grandchildren that loved her most. One thing about her is that she always knew when marketers were on the phone, because they called her Frances. But no matter how much she hated that name, she dearly loved the two people that gave it to her. She was born on August 18, 1941, to Virgil and Mamie Lee, in Memphis, TN. She was the oldest of three children, with two younger brothers, Dennis and Larry Lee, that always looked at her like she hung the moon. But if you ask most of us, she really did. As we all know, she was sweet, with just the right amount of spice when she needed it. She was a Memphis girl after all.
She grew up and called Memphis home for the majority of her life and worked and retired from Sears after thirty-four years in 1998. She got married when she was 19 to Raymond Alsbrook, with whom she had two sons, Raymond Louis Alsbrook, Jr. and Danny Allen Alsbrook. Raymond married Patricia Diane Alsbrook, who Lyvonne loved like her own daughter. I think she always wondered how this amazing woman ended up with her oldest son, but she helped him keep her. Mema’s little angel girls were her favorite though, Jennifer Rae Moore and Diana Leigh Alsbrook, the two that could do absolutely no wrong, just ask them. Jennifer and her husband, Beau Moore, have three children, Liam Daniel, Paisley Skye, and Lorelei Grace, who loved their Mema dearly.
After her first husband’s passing, she married the late Jimmy Richmond in 1998, the absolute love of her life, and his six daughters, Judy, Luanne, Deborah, Laurie, Patricia, and Shellie, and their husbands, Tony, Gary, Fred, and Don, immediately became part of the family. She ended up with 12 amazing grandchildren, Jennifer, Diana, Angie, Adam, Paul, Landon, Richmond, Griffin, David, Ben, Will, and Sam, and 11 very spoiled great-grandchildren to make her heart swell constantly. They moved down the highway to Oakland, TN, just far enough from all of the needy children (not the grandchildren, they were perfect). But honestly, we all know it was really to live closer to Olympic Steak House where she would eat……salad. Some of us spent our whole lives trying to get her to eat meat that still had any sort of flavor to it, but here we are. She did make a mean chocolate pie, a recipe that should live on for generations to come, although her granddaughter Jennifer can’t cook French fries and Diana still hasn’t given her great grandchildren, so not sure how that will pan out. Stay tuned from Heaven Mema.
Lyvonne loved her family and she loved God, and I know she is loving being up there hanging out with both. While we mourn her not being here with us, we also reflect on her character and kindness, appreciate her smile and happiness, and hopefully remember the amazing, bright, and loving people she all thought we were and expected us to be. Let’s all plan to live up to that for her.
Lyvonne’s life will be celebrated this weekend with a visitation on Friday, November 24, 2023 from 5pm-7pm at Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens, and funeral service on Saturday morning at 10am also at Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens. There will be a
graveside service to follow at Memphis Memory Gardens. No processional.
In honor of never seeing Lyvonne wear black her entire life, we ask that you wear whatever color reminds you most of our beautiful lady.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MemphisFuneralGermantownParkway.com for the Richmond family.
