Edward Mitchell Richardson

Edward Mitchell Richardson of Shawnee passed into his savior’s arms on March 17, 2020, at the age of 73, after many bouts with congestive heart failure and kidney disease.

He was born on December 16, 1946, in Covington, Virginia, and was the son of Layne Ralph and Mary (Cook) Richardson. He was raised in Covington, and was a 1965 graduate of Covington High School.

He volunteered and proudly served his country with the United States Army during 1966-1969. While in the Army, he was stationed in Okinawa during the Vietnam War. His final post was at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in 1968, where he met and married his wife, Janis.

Ed lived his life in community service as a Lawton Police Officer in Lawton, Oklahoma, from where he retired as a captain after twenty-three years. He served as police chiefs of Tonkawa, Blackwell, and Seminole, Oklahoma.

He became an award-winning sports and photo journalist for the Seminole Producer, and finished his professional career as an Academic Advisor for East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma, and was assigned to the Gordon Cooper Technology Center site in Shawnee, Oklahoma. He retired from East Central University in 2011.

Ed was known by many and loved by all. He loved running into former students of whom many are successful school administrators that he had assisted in getting their Masters Degrees through him at Gordon Cooper/ECU. He loved spending time with his two grandchildren. He loved his Chihuahuas. He also loved writing his journal, and watching travelogues on his computer.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Janis F. (Romo) Richardson; one son, Ashley Richardson and his wife, Rosa Ortega, DDS; one daughter, Whitney (Richardson) Gonzales and her husband, Travis Gonzales, and their two children, Roland Gonzales and Victoria Gonzales.

A memorial service will be planned at a later date, after the current COVID-19 crisis subsides. His wish was to donate his body to science, which was done.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Angelic Hospice (Shawnee, OK) or the United Tissue Network (Norman, OK).