James William Richardson

James William Richardson passed away quietly on June 6, 2021, in Lakeside, Arizona, at the home of his sister, Katherine L. Benge (Richardson). James was born on October 30, 1952, in Mesa, Arizona and was a lifelong resident of Arizona.  He was preceded in death by his wife of 47 years, Debra Lynn Richardson (Massey), and by his parents, Billie Joe and Grace Evelyn Richardson (Williams). He is survived by his: daughter, Sherry Lynn Richardson; son, Jeremy William Richardson and grandson, William.  His siblings are Nancy Lynn Smith (Richardson) of Queen Creek, Katherine Louise Benge (Richardson) of Lakeside, Larry Lee Richardson of Addy, Washington, Lurenna Gail Kehrig (Richardson) of Vancouver, Washington, and Gary Allen Richardson of Gig Harbor, Washington.

James, or Jimmy, as he was known to most, was an ace mechanic from his teen years on.  He built and raced drag cars for several years at Beeline Dragstrip or Firebird Raceway, leaving many competitors in the dust...One of his greatest loves was watching NASCAR racing. During the racing season, Jimmy could be found either at the track at Phoenix International Raceway or in front of the television for hours, enjoying the action. He served his country in the U.S. Army Reserve for 6 years as a mechanic, who could fix just about anything in the motorpool. He was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting and fishing with his brother-in-law in the White Mountains of northeastern Arizona.  He spent many hours out on his boat with family and friends fishing and relaxing.  He was loved and will be missed by all who knew him.