Garland Dale Richardson

Garland Dale Richardson, 93, Kansas City, MO passed away Sunday November 3, 2024. Garland was born January 27,1931 to Martha Delphine (Stout) and Samuel Carl Richardson. Garland lived on farms in Lamont and Emporia, Kansas until 1941 when the family moved to Ottawa, Kansas. In 7th grade, the family moved to Topeka, Kansas and he graduated from Topeka High School in 1949.

Garland attended Washburn University and graduated in 1954 with a BA in Business Administration. He ran track at Washburn and was part of ROTC. Upon graduating Garland went into the Air Force as a second lieutenant. He completed his flight training in 1955.

In November 1955 he married Margaret Jean “Jeanne” Spencer of Topeka, Kansas and they moved to Spokane, WA where he was stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base. During their time in Spokane, Garland was also stationed in Guam. As a pilot he flew B-36 bombers, which could fly for up to 35 hours without refueling.

Upon completion of his required years of service, the couple returned to Kansas and settled in Lawrence where Garland studied metallurgical engineering at KU. He continued his service in the Air Force Reserves during his years in Kansas.

In 1960 Garland was employed by the Union Carbide company in Speedway, IN. After several years in Speedway he was transferred to Atlanta, Georgia.

In 1966 Garland took a job with Ball Brothers in Muncie, Indiana. He was hired as part of a newly formed research and development group. In 1970, the family moved to Lakewood, Colorado so Garland could work with metal container division of Ball. He continued to work for Ball Corporation until his retirement in 1993. His last role at Ball was Director of Licensing Technology, for which he received the Ball Corporation Award of Excellence. In this role he traveled extensively both nationally and internationally. During his tenure at Ball, he was president of the National Metal Decorators Association (now the IMDPA).

After retirement, Garland and Jeanne moved to Council Grove, Kansas. While there, Garland was active in local Rotary Club and on the initial board of the Symphony of the Flint Hills, helping to bring an annual celebration to the prairie, highlighting music, art, and the ecology of the Flint Hills.

In 2010 Garland and Jeanne, moved to Kingswood Senior living in Kansas City, MO. There he was President of the Residents Association and Served on the Board of Trustees. Garland and Jeanne were active in their churches wherever they lived including The Kirk Presbyterian Church in Kansas City.

Garland was a man who loved learning, was endlessly curious and never met a stranger. He enjoyed sports of all kinds, travelling, fishing and the family farms and pasture lands in Kansas. He collected antique woodworking tools, and for a while he and a friend in Denver had a newsletter called The Two Chiselers. (Yes, they both loved the play on words.)

He is proceeded in death by his wife, Jeanne Spencer Richardson. He is survived by his sister Arlene Lynn, Lincoln NE; his children, Anne (Craig) Hanson St. Paul, MN, Brock (Marilyn) Richardson New London, CT and Sarah (Brian) Collins Leawood, KS. He has 3 grandsons, Spencer Collins (KS) Scott and Steve Salemma (CT) and 4 great grandchildren Holden, Maddox, Trey and Kyle Salemma.

Memorial services will be held at a date yet to be determined. Donations can be made to Symphony in the Flint Hills or Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care.