Mary Richards

Evangelist Mary Cleora “Cle” Richards was born in Tarpum Bay Eleuthera, The Bahamas, to Ruth Mary Edwards and Charles Nottage. She resided there with her grandparents, Thomas and Mary Julia (nee Ingraham) Edwards, for the first six years of her life. Mary was an excellent student with a passion for education and learning. She attended Southern Senior High School and Aquinas College in Nassau, New Providence. Later, she enrolled in the Bahamas Teacher’s Training College where she graduated with distinction, as a trained teacher. Mary was a professional educator par excellence who dedicated herself to her craft, teaching at several Catholic elementary schools, including St Thomas Moore Primary School. She also taught at Academia, a private school specializing in teaching children with learning challenges. In December 1959, Mary met and fell in love with Frank Hurel Richards. Subsequently, they were joined in holy matrimony and this union was blessed with six beautiful children. In recent years while residing in the Bahamas, Mary attended New Free Community Holiness Baptist Church, under the leadership of Bishop Stanley Ferguson, where she became an ordained evangelist and served as a church officer. Upon her relocation to the United States, Mary became a member of Wildwood Church of the Nazarene, now known a Resurrection Community Church of the Nazarene. She was an active church member, served on the local church board as missionary president and steward, taught Sunday School, and was the custodian. Mary was employed by Sodexo Food Service for 10 years, on the campus of Olivet Nazarene University, in Kankakee, Illinois. She leaves to cherish her memory, four sons, Huel (Rochelle) Richards and Dominic (Laverne) Richards of Nassau, Bahamas, Jason Richards of Champaign, IL and Andrew (Jennifer) Richards of Mapleton, GA; two daughters, Cheryl (Dennis) Seymour of Bourbonnais, IL and Karen (Elder Johnny) Short of Kankakee, IL; one brother, Roderick (Ella Jean) Grant of Nassau, Bahamas; two sisters, Sharon (Elcott) Grant-Coleby of Nassau, Bahamas and Alice Andrew of Tampa, FL; 12 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren and a host of other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Hurel Richards; her mother, Ruth Cleora Edwards; her brother, Frederick Rolle; her nephew, Barrett McDonald; her father, Charles Nottage; her mother-in-law, Brenetta Richards; her sisters, Vera Gibson and Evangelist Maritta Cartwright-Brown; her brothers, Charles Nottage Jr. and George Nottage. On Saturday, June 25, 2022, Mary peacefully slipped away from time and into eternity at the home of her daughter, Karen, with Cheryl by her side, and Jason on the phone. Visitation will be Friday, July 22, 2022 from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Lax Mortuary and again on Saturday, July 23, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. until time of funeral services at 10:00 a.m. at Resurrection Community Church of the Nazarene. Rev. Tina R. Burton will officiate and Rev. Jefferson M. Newton will deliver the eulogy. Burial will be in Mound Grove Gardens of Memory. Memorials may be made to Resurrection Community Church of the Nazarene, Women’s Ministry, 425 E. Court Street, Kankakee, IL 60901. .

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Mary Richards

September 10, 1945 - June 25, 2022