Marilyn Elizabeth (Lafferty) Richards, age 94, of Nixa passed away Saturday, March 11th, 2023 at Copper Rock Healthcare.
Marilyn was born in Los Angeles, California in 1928, the eldest of 3 children, big sister to 2 brothers.
Marilyn was grade school age when the family relocated to rural Texas…. following jobs that were becoming increasingly scarce. At the time of graduation from High School, jobs remained scarce with no expectation that conditions would improve soon.
World War 2 changed everything. Jobs quickly became available to those who enrolled in the Armed Services. Marilyn joined the Navy and became a member of enlisted women, known as ‘Waves’. Marilyn served the Navy as a Wave for 4 years.
Marilyn’s first post as a Wave was Honolulu, Hawaii. It was in Honolulu that Marilyn met her future husband, Eugene (Gene) Richards. While Gene was aboard ship for protracted periods of time, Marilyn ‘kept the home fires burning.’
After retirement from the Navy, the family relocated (permanently) to Springfield, Mo.
Marilyn was full of energy and had a wide variety of interests. Caring for her children was at the top of her list. Marilyn intermittently worked outside the home, always choosing employment that did not interfere with the family needs. She stopped working outside the home when Gene became ill. She cared for him in the home until his death.
Marilyn was the lynchpin of the family. She consistently maintained a positive/can-do attitude and was the person we went to for advice. Living into her 90’s Marilyn gathered and dispersed a lot of wisdom along the way. Her advice was always practical and spot-on, but, mostly, her advice was full of love and caring. She will be sorely missed.
Marilyn is survived by, a brother; 3 daughters; 1 son; 6 grandchildren 3 great grandchildren; and 1 great great grandchild.
Graveside services will be at 11:00 am, Monday, March 20, 2023 at Missouri Veterans Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 9:30 am – 10:30 am, Monday, at Greenlawn Funeral Home South.