Norma Jean "Jeannie" Richards

Norma Jean “Jeannie” Richards, 90, of College Station, won her victory over Alzheimer’s on October 12, 2020. Family and friends will gather to celebrate her life on Friday, October 16 at 2:00 pm at Hillcrest Baptist Church in Bryan, Texas. Pastor Craig Yates will lead the celebration. You may livestream the service at facebook.com/memorialbryan The family will be available to visit at 1:00 pm before the service and again after the service.

Jeannie was born on February 23, 1930 in Eastland, Texas to W. W. and Willie Walters. After graduating from Eastland High School, she married Gene Sutphen. Her marriage blessed her with four children – Diana, Paul, Lisa and Scott. Jeannie was a loving mother that created a home where all the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren looked forward to coming back for holidays, birthdays, Sunday dinner, or just a visit.

Jeannie had a natural gift of hospitality which is what made her such a success, first at Lester’s Dress Shop and then later at the Texas A&M Bookstore where she retired from. She loved getting to know people. The number of students that she blessed while working at the bookstore are too great to count. Her gift of hospitality extended into her home where she was an incredible hostess. Many bridge parties were held in her living room where the love and laughter were abundant. Jeannie was an incredible cook and all her family had their favorites. Sundays were chicken spaghetti or pot roast. She brought all the sweet goodies for family Christmas celebrations. No Thanksgiving was complete without her Pumpkin Chiffon Pie - two of her grandsons have been known to each eat a whole one by themselves.

While at Texas A&M Bookstore, Jeannie met John Richards and in 1975 they began a blessed marriage that lasted until John went to heaven in May of 2011. They found a church family at Hillcrest Baptist Church and loved the time spent in worship and fellowship. Their families grew to include thirteen grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. After John’s passing, Jeannie eventually moved to Hudson Creek where she has been wonderfully cared for the past few years.

Jeannie is celebrating in heaven with those that have gone before her including her parents, brothers Cecil & Bill Walters, sister Pauline Walters King, niece Glenna Lasiter, husband John Richards, grandson Brian Watson, and son-in-law Benton Watson. She will be missed by her daughters Diane Hearne (Hubert) and Lisa Sutphen, her sons Paul Sutphen and Scott Sutphen (Kim), and her stepdaughters Donna Black (Don) and Laura Fisher (Dave), special family Anna and David Garcia, along with all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The family requests donations in her memory be made to the Alzheimer's Association The family is grateful to the wonderful caregivers at Hudson Creek who have cared so well for Jeannie the past few years.

“Her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praises her: Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” Proverbs 31: 28-29.