In Memory

Lawry Richards

Lawry Richards

Lawrence Mark Richards II (1946 ~ 2009)

Lawrence "Lawry" Mark Richards II, passed away surrounded by loved ones in his home on Wed., October 7, 2009 in Holladay, Utah, due to a long term battle with cancer. Lawry was born on May 17, 1946 in Holladay, Utah to Lawrence Mark Richards and Margaret Reid. He served faithfully as an LDS missionary in the Canadian Ontario Mission. Lawry married his wife, Loni, on June 30, 1972 in the Salt Lake City Temple. He made his home in Utah's Salt Lake Valley and Laguna Niguel, California, where he made many long lasting friendships.

Lawry's love for his family was always his top priority in life. He always said that his greatest accomplishment was raising and providing for his four children and caring for his sweet wife. He was a faithful member of the LDS Church and actively contributed when called upon. Lawry enjoyed designing and building furniture for his home, sanding and polishing wooden blocks for his grandkids, or carving out the perfect pinewood derby car for his sons. He also loved collecting and listening to classical music. As an excellent pianist, he was always called upon to play the organ at church. Lawry's other interests included: sports, coaching, cooking and spending time with his family.

Lawry is survived by his wife of 37 years, Yolanda "Loni" Lucero; his four sons and their wives: Adam and Yoko Richards, Brandon and Alee Richards, Mark and Shellie Richards, Jordan Spencer Richards; his mother, three sisters, and one brother; and nine wonderful grandkids. He is reuniting in Heaven with his twin sons, Benjamin and Zachary; his father Lawrence Mark Richards; his mother-in-law, Emma Lucero; and other friends and loved ones. Lawry touched the lives of everyone he met. We will love him forever.

Funeral Services will be held on Mon., October 12, 2009 11:00 a.m., at the Murray 24th Ward, 755 East Three Fountains Drive (5010 South). Friends may visit with the family on Sunday evening October 11, 2009 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Holbrook Mortuary, 3251 South 2300 East, and at the church on Monday morning from 9:30 a.m. to 10:40 a.m. prior to services. Interment: Holladay Memorial Park.



 
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11/03/13 07:12 PM #1    

David Burnett

It is so hard to read these obtis, as it engenders a sense of how our lives are touched by fate.   I  remember with a clarity that amazes me how Lawry played piano in the Oly. Junior talent contest - 1961 playing what I remember as hungarian rhapsody no. 3... and how his fingers fairly flew across those keys, filling the auditorium with the kind of music which it seldom knew.  like so many others, I m not sure i ever saw him after graduation, but what is clear is that he remained someone for whom sharing was a major driving force in his life. 


11/07/13 10:44 AM #2    

Annette Fox (Kennett)

I too, like David, remember him playing in that talent contest; but I remember the song as Warsaw Concerto.  To this day, when I hear that piece played, I think of Lawry.  He had such an amazing talent.  When I read his obit, I was glad to see he used his talent throughout his life.


04/27/14 10:37 AM #3    

David Kunz

I have known Lawry since grade school.  Some of my most clear memories are when we played little league baseball together, I believe his father was our coach or at least an assistant coach. One memory of Lawry was when we were kids he ingeniously converted a bicycle into a type of trike that sported a large wire basket across the front two wheels.  Now living in rural Holladay he made arrangements with some of his neighbors to purchase some of there hen's fresh eggs and would ride door to door selling these eggs for a profit.  He was my first experience with seeing an entreprenuer in the making.  Lawry had many talents and successes and certainly one that is remembered the most is his musical talent with the piano, he certainly had a gift.  I was pleased to have a long visit with him just a few weeks before he passed away at my place of employment.  To me he was the same Lawry that I knew in our youth, kind and gracious always.

Dave Kunz 


04/28/14 01:33 PM #4    

Barbara A. Ferris

It's interesting how our memories differ from one another.  He had a great musical talent and did win the talent contest in 9th grade at Olympus Jr. High.  However, I remember that he played from Grieg's piano concerto.  It doesn't really matter because we remember his talent and the boy who played it..  I also remember his quiet friendship.  Maybe we should have people share their talents at our reunion.  I remember the men's trio in which Kathy Bird played the bass violin standing on a stool.  Where are they now?


04/29/14 10:57 AM #5    

Doug Boyle

Replying to Barbara Ferris's comments.  Where are they now?  As far as Kathy Bird, I have that stool in my garage.  I always secretly loved Kathy, and when she left the stage, I took the stool out to my navy Oldsmobile convertible, wrapped it in Saran Wrap, put it in the trunk, and have saved it for all these years,  knowing that sometime in the future, it would be worth big bucks.  Looks like that time has come;)  Now as far as Lawry, we grew up together in the same ward, playing ball on the same teams. His dad was our coach most of the time, and his mom was our teacher a lot of the time.  I think we were pretty good friends over the years.  I remember the piano concerto being Rachmaninoff's Fugue in Dflat, just sayin'.  Sorry, I must be having a fit of silliness this afternoon.  Lawry, and so many of our contemporaries have left a gap.  I so wanted to talk to some of these wonderful people who really did have a formative impact on my early life.  I am shattered to find out that they simply won't be there in June. How profoundly sad.  Yet, there will be hundreds of you to talk to and to reminisce with.  I wish we had four days instead of two.  Luckily, we are moving back to Utah in June, after 21 years here in England. So,maybe I can get a couple of lunch dates in the plans to revisit and laugh and remember.  Doug


05/01/14 12:22 PM #6    

Krista Wilhelmsen

So sorry to hear about Lawry Richards.  He was such a talented, sweet individual with a gentle, soft manner about him. I will always remember seeing his smile in the hallways of Olympus High.


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