Estill County mourns loss of long-time Ravenna Councilwoman Joan Richardson

Friends and family of Joan Richardson say she will be remembered for many things, but none more than her compassion for others and her big smile.
Richardson, who served on the Ravenna City Council for 19 years, passed away June 27 after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer.
Her daughter, Rebecca Barker, said even during her last days her kind spirit and smile remained.
“My prayer when we found out mom had cancer was for comfort,” she said. “I’m happy to say that my mom got that. She didn’t hardly suffer at all.”
Richardson was diagnosed with cancer in February of this year. She visited Cleveland Clinic and Indiana University for treatments.
“They just didn’t really work the way they were supposed to,” she said.
Throughout her battle with the disease those who knew Richardson well said she still managed to care more for others than she did herself.
Which is something her long-time friend and fellow councilmember Estine Tipton said she will always be remembered for. This was evident in her dedication to the City of Ravenna.
“Like me, she wanted to see Ravenna be a beautiful place,” Tipton, who is now mayor in Ravenna, said. “She was a great volunteer for the city.”
In addition to serving on the council since 1994, Richardson played an integral role in establishing the Veterans Memorial at the park, she helped every year with the gardening and landscaping at the park and at city hall and she was a dedicated volunteer and Auxilliary Board at Marcum & Wallace Memorial Hospital.
She also worked in the Estill County school system for approximately 27 years as a cook first and then a teacher’s aide.
“I didn’t ever know she greeted at Marcum Wallace,” Lisa Baber said.
Baber took Sunday School classes from Richardson for many years and each of her three sons were taught by Richardson when they were in kindergarten. She said finding out Richardson worked at the hospital was not surprise.
“What a perfect thing for her to do,” she said. “If you had to go to the hospital, wouldn’t it just make things better to see Joan’s smile when you got there?”
Barker said this passion for serving others extended into other aspects of the community and was especially impactful for Richardson’s family.
She was married to James Richardson, who also serves on the Ravenna City Council, for 44 years. The couple lived in Ravenna for 40 years and have two children, Barker and her brother, James Willard Richardson. She also had a grandson, Ryan Freeman, who Barker said she was very dedicated to.
Richardson was active in her church, Irvine First Church of God for over 40 years and spent much of her time taking care of her grandson and his friends.
“She spent the last 16 years doing for Ryan,” Barker said. “She would take him to his ball games and give him and his friends rides where ever they needed to go.”
Her other hobbies included traveling and visiting lighthouses.
In recent years she was able to visit places like Alaska, California and Hawaii, along with her travel buddies Tipton, Janice Wiseman, Vicki Adams, Terry Williams and Faye Winkler.
Barker said she believes her mother will be remembered for the help and compassion she offered to so many people, without asking for recognition for it all and that she did everything with a smile.
“She really loved life,” Barker said. “She loved every single day. I think people will remember that she was always the same whenever they saw her.”
Tipton said Richardon’s big smile is something she will miss.
“I love her and I miss her,” she said. “But I know she’s in a better place. I will always remember her great smile and her compassion for others. She didn’t always like the things other people do, but she was always compassionate towards them.”
Tipton hopes other people in Ravenna will continue working toward what Richardson stood for: making it a better place.
“I hope people remember her for what stood for,” she said. “She had the desire to make Ravenna a beautiful place to live.”
Barker said the family is overwhelmed by the support from the community.
“Words can’t really explain how grateful we are,” she said. “From the long lines at the funeral home to all the food, we really appreciate everything. We appreciate the show of love and support.”
A complete obituary for Richardson can be found on page A6.