George Norman Richardson III died Tuesday, March 24, 2026, of complications from a cardiac procedure. He was 82.
George was born on April 4, 1943, in Greenville, Texas. His parents were George N. Richardson Jr. and Laura (Walker) Richardson.
Among survivors are his wife, Kathleen (Fuhrman) Richardson of Belleville, Ill.; his daughter, Catherine R. “Katie” Richardson of St. Louis; and a son, David G. Richardson, of Magdalena, N.M. Another son, George N. “Beau” Richardson IV, died in 1981.
George began his 42-year career in journalism at the Kansas City Star. He spent a year at the University of Kansas School of Journalism as an instructor and adviser to the University Daily Kansan. He then went to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, where he was night editor. He joined the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 1974. He began as a makeup and layout editor and later was the editor of the weekly “You” magazine. When he retired in 2005, he was the designer of the paper’s Metro sections.
Besides his family and friends, among George’s many interests were his 1984 BMW Police Special motorcycle, which he named Puff the Magic Dragon. A resident of Lafayette Square for 35 years, he worked tirelessly on the restoration of his family’s Victorian home and the transformation of its yard into an urban oasis. The house became a cushy home for retired racing greyhounds, which over the years numbered six. For many years George served lunch to homeless people on Thursdays at St. Vincent de Paul church in St. Louis. He was a lifelong fan of the Texas A&M Aggies.
Services: Visitation will be from 9-10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at St. Vincent de Paul church, 1408 S. 10th Street in St. Louis, with a funeral service at 10:30 at the church. Burial will be at Oak Hill Cemetery in Kirkwood.
The family asks that any memorial donations be made to St. Vincent de Paul parish’s social outreach ministry or to help victims of last year’s tornado through Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, P.O. Box 952393, St. Louis, Mo. 63195-2393, with “tornado relief” in the memo field of a check. Donations also may be made at ccstl.org.
Services by KUTIS CITY CHAPEL (2906 Gravois Ave.)
Lesley and I will remember you in our prayers, Kathy. Love and Blessings to you and your family.
Doug and Lesley Colberg
He was such a kind and wonderful man! Despite his age of 82, he lived a fulfilling life. He had a beautiful wife, a beautiful daughter who traveled all the way from China to live a wonderful life with her father, and a son whom George will be buried on top of. And had so many greyhounds
We love you, George, and we will forever miss you. You are in a better place now with Lizzy, Sandy Moon, tabby, angel, and your other greyhound and soon Fiona.
It’s undeniable that the loss of a loved one is incredibly difficult. Even Jesus shed tears when he lost his friend Lazarus. -John 11:35
Kathy and Katie. We are so sorry to hear about George’s passing. We think of you often and will always treasure the friendship that began in China when we adopted our girls. Praying for you. We will be in touch soon to catch up.
Randy, Donna, and Mikaela
We send our most heartfelt prayers and condolences to Katherine, Katie, and David. May the Lord bless you and your families with all the love and strength in this difficult time.
Dear Kathy and Katie,
We were saddened to hear about George’s passing. Even though we hadn’t spoken in many years, he was family, and we are truly sorry for your loss.
During this difficult time, please know that our thoughts are with you. If there’s anything we can do to help, don’t hesitate to reach out.
With sympathy,
Doug and Joanna Richardson
Kathy we are so saddened to hear about George’s passing. Praying for comfort and peace as you grieve the loss of your beloved.
We were deeply saddened to hear of George’s passing. We greatly enjoyed his friendship, his stories and fellowship with the family through the years. He was a wonderful human being who will be missed.
Andre and Lisa
George and I were colleagues at the Kansas City Times (Star) in 1966-1967. He volunteered to photograph my 1967 wedding in Topeka , Ks. with the late love of my life, Jolene.. We treasured those photos all our lives. I could never thank him enough for that selfless act. George was a one of a kind upbeat upbeat person. He will be missed.