Kenneth Ray RICHARDSON

RICHARDSON, MOORE, WHYTE

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 11/28/2015 at 15:34:05

June 9, 1927 --- July 3, 2013

Kenneth R. Richardson, 86, passed away at Saint Elias Hospital July 3, 2013. He was born June 9, 1927, the oldest of four siblings in the Ray and Ruth Richardson Family in northern Iowa. Ken is survived by his wife of 51 years, Alice; brother, Deane; sister, Mary; youngest brother, Ed and by many friends.

Ken became a pilot while in high school and has been flying ever since. He flew his brother to college in New York City from Iowa and flew across the United States twice on a student's license. During his life he flew from Iowa to Alaska, solo, five times. After being drafted, the Army brought him to Alaska in 1946 where he served several years in the Mountain Rescue Group. He parachuted to rescue many survivors of airplane crashes. After his service duty, he spent a couple of years on his trap line north of Dillingham.

He enrolled in college and completed his aircraft engineering education at Northrop and Tri State College. He returned to Alaska and worked several years as a certified aircraft mechanic for Alaska Airlines. He started his own business, Richardson Air Craft Maintenance at Merrill Field which he ran until his retirement. He was very inventive and was always developing ideas to improve aircraft.

He married Alice, [May Alice Moore] the love of his life, on Valentine's Day 1962. Alice was a public health nurse in Anchorage. She had grown up on a farm in Iowa [Dows, Wright County, Iowa] less than 40 miles from Ken's family farm. They didn't meet until they were in Alaska.

Ken designed a tri motor airplane while in college. At the age of 75, Ken built his own Gyrocopter. He had many innovative features in his Gyrocopter. He flew it in Arizona and many places in Alaska. His favorite was Chickaloon Air Strip where he recorded movies of his flights that he sent to his friends and family.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the First Presbyterian Church on Saturday, July 13, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider giving to Alaska Aviation Museum.

Anchorage Daily News -- Anchorage, Alaska
July 10, 2013

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[son of Raynard C. and Ruth Lucille (Whyte) Richardson of Goldfield, Wright County, Iowa]