Ms. Helen S Richardson

There will be a life well celebrated memorial service on Wednesday, November 21 at 1 pm at the Carolina Memorial Funeral Home Chapel followed by the inurnment for all to attend in loving remembrances of Helen Frances Smith Richardson and support of her family at the Carolina Memorial Park, 7113 Rivers Ave., North Charleston, SC.

In lieu of flowers, the family of Helen Richardson requests that you send donations to Palmetto Bible Camp, PBC Bookkeeper, 126 Chatham Circle, Madison AL, 35758.

Celebration of the life of Grandma Richardson:

Helen Frances Smith Richardson went home to be with her beloved Lord and Savior on Wednesday, November 7, 2018. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph E. Richardson; her oldest son, Bill Richardson, Sr.; her great-grandson, William Richardson III; her sisters, Anna Katherine Smith and Margaret Hanson; brothers, Lee and Robert Smith; and parents, Ruby D and George S. Smith. Remaining behind to carry on her life example of Christian love and service are her sons, Chuck and Dee Richardson; her daughters, Barbara Smith and Tricia Young; 15 grandkids; 36 great grandkids; and countless church and camp family members whose lives she touched and enriched through her 91 years of living for God while on this earth.

Born on April 1, 1927, Grandma Helen, as she was called by all who knew her in her later years, began her life near Oklahoma City, OK. She was the third child out of six born to Ruby D Lee and George S. Smith. Her first fourteen years were spent enjoying the outside life, roaming their farm with her older brother, Lee.

From an early age, she learned the Bible as God’s Word and of the love of God and at the age of 9, she responded to the gospel message of salvation by putting on Jesus in baptism. She called this day the most important day of her life, the day God washed her sins away and she started her life in Him. She never wavered from this road for the rest of her 82 years.

In 1941, Helen’s family moved to Charleston, SC, so her father could work in the navy ship yard. With six kids and all their stuff loaded in a woody station wagon, Ruby D and George got to Charleston just in time for the bombing at Pearl Harbor. The family settled in Summerville and Helen attended Summerville High School, where she was a star player on the Lady Greenwave basketball team. Upon graduation in 1945, Helen made plans to attend a woman’s college. That plan changed on July 31, 1945, when their family had some guests over for supper—Eugene and Irene Richardson and their son, Ralph, who had just returned from serving as a medic in the Pacific theatre during World War II. As Helen would retell the story years later, she was feeling achy after a typhoid vaccine shot and had decided to skip supper and go to bed when she got home from work. Then she saw this handsome young man who had come to supper and decided maybe she could hang on long enough to eat supper with the family that night. In her words, she found out from that first night of visiting with Ralph that she and Ralph liked a lot of the same things like music and sports. Three months later, on October 20, 1945, Helen and Ralph were married and spent their honeymoon night traveling by Greyhound bus to their first home in Waukegan, IL. While living in Illinois, Helen had her first two children, Bill in September of 1946 and Chuck in April of 1948. She also invited Christians into her home for worship services on Sunday. From that service, a new congregation of the Lord’s church began to grow. Today the church of Christ that first met in her house is a growing, strong church.

In 1950, Ralph and a then-pregnant Helen moved from Illinois back to Charleston, SC, to help care for Ralph’s mom who was sick with cancer. Ralph and Helen settled in North Charleston and lived in the same house for the rest of their lives together. Their daughter, Barbara, was born in Roper Hospital in March of 1951. Son Dee would follow in 1955 and daughter Tricia would come in 1960. This would complete the core family, but many more children and others would also live in their house over the years when the needs arose: foster children; friends needing a place to live to get their lives together; untold numbers of young service men and others who needed a home away from home; and every Sunday, new members or visitors from church that were invited for Sunday lunch.

For the remainder of her life, Helen would spend her days raising and encouraging her family from her home in North Charleston. She and Ralph worked together tirelessly with the church of Christ in Charleston—first at Riverside downtown, then at Durant Avenue, and then at the North Charleston church of Christ. Their lives revolved around their physical family and church family. Helen was a secretary at the church for a time in the 60’s and 70’s and then went on to work at Recaps Incorporated along with her husband. They both retired from there in 1989.

In the late 1950’s, Helen began working in the summers with Carolina Bible Camp in North Carolina. This began a passion for serving, loving, and teaching young people through the Bible Camp experience. In 1966, this passion continued at Palmetto Bible Camp, an endeavor begun by a core group of Christian men, including her husband, Ralph. She continued to work at and for PBC until her health prevented her from attending camp at about the age of 88. Through her work with the camp, countless thousands of young people experienced the love of Christ firsthand through her example and work there.

During sad times in her life, her faith did not waiver. Her oldest son, Bill, passed away unexpectedly in 1982 while stationed in Okinawa, Japan. She served and loved on. Her husband passed away in his sleep while working at Palmetto Bible Camp in 1992. Helen continued her work with PBC and with the church at North Charleston, never failing to encourage the Family and be actively involved in the activities and service there. Her great-grandson, William, passed at a young age two years ago, bringing her a heavy heart. But she worked to encourage those left behind.

While we mourn deeply not having her with us any longer, we know that she is singing loudly with her husband, loved ones, and the other saints around God’s throne. In life, her aging voice, once a lovely alto, had grown cracked and roughened. As she said, it was like gravel in her throat. Now she sings clear and loud the song of praise she loved so much while here on earth.

Sing on, Grandma Helen. May we live in Jesus so we can have the hope to sing along with you one great day.