Frank Raymond Richardson, 89, of Vero Beach, passed away on June 7, 2014.
He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Dottie Resler Richardson; son, Bill (Linda) Richardson; step-daughter, Leslie (Brad) Creel; sister, Barbara Johnson; brother, Bill (Peg) Richardson; sister-in-law, Fay Richardson; three grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Richardson was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Ruth Lanning Richardson; his brother, Bob; and his first wife, Jean Hyatt Richardson.
Born May 30, 1925, in Trenton, N.J., Richardson spent his teen years in Lawrenceville, N.J. In May 1943, while attending Princeton High School, he was drafted into the Navy and served until 1946.
Richardson spent his service time at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland, St. Albans Naval Hospital in New York, and Hunters Point, San Francisco. He was training to be part of the Underwater Demolition Team (now called SEALS) when the war ended.
After earning his BS and MS degrees in Wildlife Conservation & Management from North Carolina State University, Richardson began his career as a fisheries biologist for the State of North Carolina before joining the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in 1963. He held positions in Washington D.C., the Virgin Islands, Minnesota, Colorado, and Michigan and retired as Assistant Regional Director, Fisheries in Atlanta, Ga., in 1989. He also served as Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Interior and to the Director of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Richardson spent the majority of his retirement in Bozeman, Mont., which he loved dearly. He was an avid golfer and angler, who traveled far and wide to indulge his passion for fly-fishing.
He was active in many civic and professional organizations including Boy Scouts, Rotary, Lions, Jaycees (President in North Carolina), U.S. Government Fishery Management Councils for the Atlantic, Gulf and Caribbean, as well as three fishing commissions. He served on the National Boards of Trout Unlimited and Federation of Fly Fishers and was the first President of the Georgia Chapter of American Fisheries Society. He also served as a Deacon at First Presbyterian Church in Bozeman, Mont.
Richardson received numerous awards including: Trout Unlimited Conservationist of the Year, 1977 and Federation of Fly Fishers Conservationist of the Year, 1980. He was also awarded the prestigious Leopold Medal by Federation of Fly Fishers, Trout Unlimited, American Fisheries Society, the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture and EPA for lifetime contribution in the field of cold water fisheries, 1984.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to VNA Hospice House, 901 37th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960 at www.vnatc.com.
