Michael Gordon Richmond was born April 6, 1946 to Charles “Mike” and Hazel (Beaver) Richmond of Eads, TN. Mike attended Bartlett High School, where he was a 4-sport athlete. He went on to play baseball for Memphis State University then with the Yankees organization. Mike served in the US Army during Vietnam, earning 3 purple hearts before his honorable discharge. He gave his life to Jesus and was baptized at Harvest Church.
Mike was in the hotel & restaurant business all his life. He started with Holiday Inn out of college, opened hotels all over the country for MHM, moved back to Memphis to build the downtown Radisson, then became the President of Shoney’s with TPI. Mike consulted for Po’ Folks, the Adam’s Mark, and Blue Plate Café before purchasing Blue Plate and creating the Memphis breakfast landmark it is today.
Mike loved everything Memphis. He loved supporting Memphis athletics and local Memphis restaurants. Mike loved patronizing the establishments of restaurateur friends. He took great joy for many years feeding the UofM football and basketball teams for Thanksgiving. Mike was a true Tiger fan who raised a family of Tiger fans. He didn’t miss many football or basketball games over the course of his lifetime, often traveling with his parents, children, and grandchildren to games. He loved discussing Memphis high school and middle school athletics, particularly ECS football and lacrosse and Collierville soccer and cheer. He was a fixture at games until his health recently declined, but even so, managed to travel to two Western Kentucky University football games to see his grandson. If you were an athlete he loved, Big Daddy was coming to see you play.
Mike passed away after battling cancer Sunday, October 24, 2021. His parents and his sister, Janice Richmond, preceded him in death. He leaves his wife of 49 years, Debbie (Dearen) Richmond, his daughters, Shelley Arthur (Coors) and Scotti Anglin (Chad), grandchildren, Will, Charlie, and Wright Arthur and Cate and Caroline Anglin, his aunt, Wanda Fee (Charles), a host of cousins, many friends and the guys from the card room at Ridgeway Country Club. We will all miss him greatly.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, November 2nd 6:00-8:00pm at Memphis Funeral Home. The funeral service will be at Harvest Church Wednesday, November 3rd at 10:00am. Burial will proceed in Eads, TN.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations are made to Sigma Chi Fraternity, where Mike once served as President of the Memphis Epsilon Kappa chapter and served on the Housing Corps board. Donations may be mailed to: Sigma Chi Foundation, Attn: Millie Peterson, 1714 Hinman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201, In memory of Michael G. Richmond, fund #4624 or given online to the Epsilon Kappa chapter at https://donate.sigmachi.org/epsilonkappacf or to Evangelical Christian School. ECS is an awesome place to be a grandparent, and Mike sure loved his community there. An anonymous donor has agreed to match any funds given to ECS before May 1st.
Donations in memory of Mike Richmond may be made to: Evangelical Christian School- Building for Life Campaign, PO Box 1030, Cordova, TN 38088 or made online at www.ecseagles.com/Building-For-Life.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MemphisFuneralPoplar.com for the Richmond family.
