Glenora Richards

Written by Carrie Schmelkin
Thursday, 29 October 2009 10:39

Former New Canaan resident Glenora Richards died Wednesday, October 21, with her granddaughter, Jennifer Conner, holding her hand at her bedside at Hillcrest Nursing Home in Fitchburg, Mass. She was 100.

Born in New London, Ohio, on February 18, 1909, the daughter of the late Tracy and Bertha Case of Litchfield, Ohio, Mrs. Richards, an acclaimed artist, lived in New Canaan from 1941 until March of this year. She and her late husband, Walter D. Richards, also a famous artist, met when they were students at the Cleveland School of Art in the late 1920s, when she was sketching customers at a department store. They married and moved during the Great Depression to New York City, where they continued their art careers.

In her heyday, Mrs. Richards was a world-class miniature artist and United States postage stamp designer. Her works are in the permanent art collections of the Smithsonian, Yale Art Museum, Worcester Art Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, R.W.S. Galleries in London, England, and many others. She won 27 international and national “Best of Show” awards, and she was commissioned to do the portraits of many famous U.S. citizens.

Lewis Rabbage, the art critic and consultant to many major museums, made the statement that Mrs. Richards was the greatest miniature painter of her time, and perhaps ever.

She was also an excellent musician, family members said, and played first violin in the first All American High School Orchestra. She was asked to try out for Tanglewood, but couldn’t afford the bus ticket from Ohio.

When asked, family members said, Mrs. Richards would joke that she was the valedictorian of her Litchfield, Ohio, (population about 200 at the time) high school, by then adding that there were only two other seniors graduating with her.

Often when asked the secret to her long life, always she would answer, “I’m Irish,” they added.

Mrs. Richards is predeceased by her husband; her son Henry Richards of Lunenburg, Mass., and her sister Edith Homer of Litchfield, Ohio.

She is survived by her son Timothy Richards, owner of Orchard Hills Athletic Club and founding president of the Boys & Girls Club of NCM, and his wife, Sheila, of Lunenburg; six grandchildren, Jennifer Connor, Kenneth Richards, Camilla Velazquez, Andrew Richards, Alexander Richards and Benjamin Richards; and six great-grandchildren, plus a seventh about to be born.

A memorial service celebrating Mrs. Richards’ life will be held at a time to be announced.

Contributions in her memory may be made the Boys & Girls Club of NCM, c/o Tim Richards, 100 Duval Road, Lancaster, MA 01523.