Mary Richmond
Mary Richmond (nee Stolper) passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 23, 2025. Her passing came after a long battle with kidney disease. She was 83.
She was born on July 7, 1942, in Madison, Wisconsin, to Earl and Maddie Stolper. Her younger brother, John, came six years later, and the siblings spent their youth in and around their home on Owen Drive, making friends and a little mischief. She was social yet sometimes shy, nicknamed “Mousy Mary” by those who did not know her well. Many friends knew her as outspoken, kind, and fiercely loyal to those she loved. Those who knew Mary as an adult knew there was nothing mousy or meek about her.
Mary attended Madison West High School and graduated in 1960. She then attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she studied Speech Pathology and was an active member of the Alpha Phi sorority. After graduating from Madison in 1964, she began her career as a speech therapist in the Neenah school district, working with students in the district’s elementary schools. She soon moved to Waukesha, where she became a valuable speech therapist in the city’s school district at various schools, including White Rock Elementary. She was a passionate advocate for the young students she worked with and took pride in helping kids overcome speech delays and deficits and become confident communicators.
On September 13, 1969, Mary married Donald Richmond, a teacher at Arrowhead High School in Hartland, WI. The couple went to make a life together in Waukesha, eventually welcoming two sons, David and Dan. Mary left full-time work for a few years to raise her kids and later worked as a speech therapist for Easter Seals of Greater Milwaukee, where she helped preschool children until her retirement in 2002. While her children were in school, Mary was an active member and president of the Parent-Teacher Organization at Banting Elementary. She was always in attendance to support her boys for every soccer game, wrestling match, football game, band performance, and choir concert. You could always hear Mary’s voice rising above the din of the crowd at any athletic event.
Mary had a very fulfilling social life and cared deeply about her close friends, many of whom she met in college or early in her career. She was an active golfer, bowler, and cross-country skier, and came to know every block of her neighborhood on her daily walks. She gathered regularly with her friends for bridge, book club, coffee, and sharing stories up until the end of her life.
Mary remained active well into her retirement years. She served as a loving grandma for her first grandchildren, Jake and Ellie (children of Dave and Nicole Richmond), entertaining them at her home and taking them on adventures in and around Milwaukee. They went to the zoo, the movies, Brewer games, and spent a lot of time thrifting for books and toys. Later in life, she loved to brag about her youngest grandchild, Goldie Rae, who was growing up too quickly in faraway Utah. Mary also volunteered for the Waukesha Service Club and as a reading aide at Horning Middle School. She remained an avid reader, often reading two to three books per week.
Mary is survived by her husband, Don; her sons, Dave Richmond (Caroline Steinhoff) and Dan Richmond (Melissa Mendelson); three grandchildren, Jake, Ellie, and Goldie Rae (daughter of Dan and Melissa); her brother, John Stolper (Sue Stolper); and many nieces and nephews and their families.
Relatives and friends may join Mary's family on Thursday, November 6, at CHURCH AND CHAPEL FUNERAL HOME, 380 Bluemound Rd., Waukesha, at 4 PM, followed by the Memorial Service at 6 PM.
Church and Chapel Funeral Home is serving the family. For more information, please call 262-549-0659 or visit www.churchandchapel.com to view the online obituary or leave condolences.
PAID OBITUARY
