Lonny Richardson

Our father, brother, and friend, Lonny Van Richardson, 67,  passed away at home on January 11th 2024 from the effects of pancreatic cancer.  He was surrounded by those he loved. 

Lonny was born in American Fork, Utah, May 28th 1956, the son of Ladell Olof Richardson and Betty Glenn Johnson. He grew up in Orem, in the shadows of Mount Timpanogos, and graduated from Orem High School. He was a member of the debate team and was a wonderful loving brother to his 6 siblings. He loved the outdoors, especially fishing, making friends, and living life large.

Lonny accepted the call to be a missionary and devoted 2 formative years loving and serving the people of the Philippines.  He learned humility and sacrifice, and to speak Cebuano.  His letter’s home bore strong witness of God’s love for all His children.

Lonny married his Swedish sweetheart, Birgitta Holmberg, on March 31st 1983, solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Lonny and Birgitta brought five wonderful children into the world and later divorced.

In 1985, he graduated from BYU with a BA in English with dreams of touching the hearts of many with his words, and much of his free time was devoted to writing. He loved all literature, music, and the dramatic arts, and eagerly shared that love and enthusiasm with his children, friends, and family.  

Lonny worked for the US Postal Service for several years in Orem, and Springdale, UT.  He enjoyed working with his hands and was a talented carpenter and handyman. He utilized those skills in St. George UT, Sacramento CA, and Crosby ND. In Crosby, he was employed by St. Luke’s Sunrise Care Center as a maintenance man until its closure in 2021. There he was admired by residents and his fellow co-workers. He was also an excellent cook and loved sharing his skills with others.  

Lonny was sensitive to those in need and sought justice for them.  He saw good in people and perspectives that were often misunderstood or overlooked. He was overly generous, but his conscious rested easy knowing he had shown kindness at every opportunity.

He was preceded in death by his parents and the mother of his beloved children, Birgitta Richardson. He is survived by his children Elsa Shipley, Orem UT; Michael Richardson , Portland OR; Emily (John) Roche, Crosby ND;  Kiera (Brian) Vidal, Washington UT; Taylor Richardson, Ferndale WA; and by his 2 grandchildren Henry Shipley and Ramona Roche.  

He is survived by his siblings Wade (Lorraine) Richardson, Saratoga Springs UT; Kary (Dana) Richardson, Orem UT; Sandy (Marc) Arnoldsen, Highland UT; Tad (Tammie) Richardson, Pleasant Grove UT; Teri (Ken) Morris, Penn Laird VA; and Jennifer (Steve) Arnold, Saratoga Springs UT, and many adoring nephews and nieces.