Orrin John Richards Jr. (Jack Richards)

 

Orrin John Richards Jr. (Jack Richards) passed away February 3, 2015 at the Avow Hospice in Naples, Florida at age 93.

Jack was born January 4, 1922 and was the only child of Orrin Richards Sr. and Carmen Nelson Richards of Minneapolis/Dunedin, Florida. He enlisted in the Army while at Hamline University, serving as a Captain in both World War II and recalled for Korea. He served a total of 14 years.

While at Hamline, he met his future wife, Doris Anderson (Richards). After World War II he and Doris moved to Brainerd, Minnesota and started a taxi business and fuel oil company. When the Korean War broke out, he was recalled to the military and had to sell his businesses and relocate to Georgia. In 1952, he was released from service and moved to Grand Marais, where he built the Bayview Oil Co. and Mileage Gas Station. He was a great mechanic, and delivered fuel oil to the logging camps all winter in his red Jeep pickup.

He enjoyed the North Shore since he was a teenager, when he and his cousin hitchhiked from Minneapolis to Grand Marais, sleeping outside and fishing the creeks.

In 1962, he sold the gas station to the corporate office and moved for a short time to St. Anthony Village, Minnesota. In 1963, he took ownership of the Tee-A-Way Country Club in Ladysmith, Wisconsin. Jack was a great golfer and also loved taking care of the greens and improving the golf course. They sold Tee-A-Way in 1968 and moved to Minnetonka, Minnesota. While working in the metro area, Jack met his future friends and employers who asked him to move to Florida to manage a condominium development.

They remained in Florida, living in Fort Myers, Cape Coral and finally in Naples. At age 84, he finally retired and was able to spend time doing what he loved most—fishing. He maintained a Florida commercial fishing license. He would often be out 40 miles into the Gulf of Mexico for fish. He kept records of GPS coordinates where he caught fish. He was generous with his catch and also sold some of it.

In 2007 his wife Doris passed away.

Jack is survived by his son Daniel W. Richards, Fort Myers, Florida, daughter, Jayne E. Richards, Grand Marais and son, John A. Richards (Pamela), Sulphur, Louisiana, eight grandchildren including Sarah Fisher (James), Fort Myers, Daniel Richards, Jr. (Caty), Fort Myers, Elizabeth Drost (Ryan), Grand Portage, Peter Gagnon, Grand Portage, Christopher Gagnon, Eden Prairie, Minnesota and five great-grandchildren, Caitlyn Fisher, Lexi Fisher, Lainy Fisher, Alivia Richards and Avery Drost.

Jack will be buried next to his wife at the Maple Hill Cemetery in Grand Marais. A graveside service will be held July 9, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. A luncheon will follow at the First Congregational Church – Grand Marais. All are invited.