RICHARDSON, Adelyn Dering October 14, 1920 - December 16, 2005. "Addie" was born in Colusa, CA, the only child of Alta Saunders Hayden, a long-time Santa Rosa area school teacher, and Roger Dering, of Chicago. She graduated from Santa Rosa High School at the age of 15. During World War II she helped to expedite supplies to the Pacific and, as a WAVE, taught in an instrument flight training program in Georgia. She married William Richardson in 1944; they moved to Wahpeton, North Dakota where they had six children. They were later divorced. In the late 1960s and 1970s she worked in retail and antique jewelry in Honolulu, returning to Santa Rosa in October of 1977. Having a lifelong interest in the arts, she enrolled at Sonoma State University where she obtained a degree in studio arts and art history, graduating with honors at the age of 72. After losing much of her eyesight in the late 1990s, she developed and taught art classes for the visually impaired at the Earle Baum Center of the Blind and at Oakmont Gardens, where she was a resident at the time of her death. Her paintings are prized by those who knew her. She is survived by her children and their partners, Nelson (partner Denis Timm) and Kiki (husband Moussa Sidibe) of New York City, Tom (partner Gay Kisbey) and Rane (partner Carse McDaniel) of Santa Rosa, Joe (wife Muriel) of Fargo, North Dakota, and Nancy (husband Les Brennan) of Colstrip, Montana, and five grandchildren, Bella, Joshua, David, Damion, and Jessica. She also leaves behind many friends and admirers and her companion, Liddo Cat. A rosary will be held at the mortuary on Wednesday, December 21 at 7:00 p.m. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Star of the Valley Catholic Church, 545 White Oak Drive, Oakmont, on Thursday, December 22 at 10:30 a.m., with interment to follow at Santa Rosa Memorial Park. Memorial donations can be made to the Earle Baum Center of the Blind, 4539 Occidental Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401 or to the charity of your choice. SANTA ROSA MORTUARY EGGEN & LANCE CHAPEL 1540 Mendocino Ave. Santa Rosa, CA 707-545-3747
Published Online in the Press Democrat from Dec. 20 to Dec. 21, 2005