VERO BEACH — Vero is mourning the loss of Dan (Danforth) K. Richardson, who died Tuesday afternoon at Indian River Estates at the age of 95.
Richardson was a decades long leader in the citrus industry, as a longtime Chairman of Gracewood Groves and Gracewood Fruit Company which he joined in 1946, as well as through the Indian River Citrus League, Florida Production Managers Association and Florida Citrus Commission. Richardson was inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame in 1992.
Richardson’s philanthropic reach extended far out into the entire community, through the Richardson Family Foundation and in active leadership roles. Richardson was involved in early fundraising campaigns for Riverside Theatre and the Vero Beach Museum of Art (then Center for the Arts). He also served many years on the Indian River Medical Center (then Indian River Memorial Hospital) Foundation. In 1961 Richardson was the first board president of the United Way of Indian River County (then United Fund).
But it was with education, and a desire to provide local students with the resources and skills necessary to succeed in life where his true passion lay.
In the 1960s, Richardson served as chairman of the Indian River County School Board and was the founder of the Scholarship Foundation of Indian River County (then Dollars for Scholars), which has since awarded more than $9 million to Indian River County students.
In 1991 Richardson, joined by Marion Block and Alma Lee Loy, established the Education Foundation of Indian River County, and in 1996, along with Dr. A. Ronald Hudson and the late Dr. William Nigh, created the Gifford Youth Activity Center.
In his honor, the GYAC created The Dan K. Richardson Humanitarian Award, naming him its first recipient.
