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Dorothea (Rich) Richardson

[January 21, 2016]  PHOENIX, AZ - Dorothea (Rich) Richardson died Wednesday, December 9, 2015, in Phoenix, Arizona. Dorothea fought a courageous battle beginning several years ago when an autoimmune disease attacked her body. She received a donor kidney on January 1, 2009, in Portland, Oregon. After spending 40 years in Eugene, Oregon, Dorothea moved to Prescott, Arizona.

Obituary

Dorothea (Rich) Richardson died Wednesday, December 9, 2015, in Phoenix, Arizona. Dorothea fought a courageous battle beginning several years ago when an autoimmune disease attacked her body. She received a donor kidney on January 1, 2009, in Portland, Oregon. After spending 40 years in Eugene, Oregon, Dorothea moved to Prescott, Arizona.

Dorothea was born in Mattoon, Illinois, on June 4, 1945, a daughter of Austin G. and Eva Lee Rich. She is survived by her husband, Richard Richardson, Prescott, AZ; sons Vonn Schleicher (Rona), Springfield, Oregon and Ryan Schleicher (Christi) Chula Vista, California; two step-sons, Chris Richardson and Richard Richardson III; a brother Roger A. Rich (Betty), Cantonment, FL; a sister, Rosemary (Jim), LeRoy,; four nephews and four nieces and many former classmates from Lincoln including Jayne Zimmer, Anita Miller, and Linda Fay who supported her through her illness. Her older brother Don R. Rich is deceased.

Dorothea was a member of the Lincoln Christian Church and a graduate of Lincoln Community High School. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a BS in Education and attended graduate school at the University of Oregon. She taught 34 years at Briggs Middle School in Springfield, Oregon, from 1979 until her retirement in 2003. Former colleagues called her a "Class Act" who cared for her students.

A Celebration of Life will be held in Springfield, Oregon on Saturday, February 6, 2016.

She is lovingly remembered by her childhood friends. She was a teacher's ideal student - always prepared for class, punctual, respectful, courteous and bright. The class knew because many times they would hear, "Why can't you be more like Dorothea?" She was a good friend; we have lots of good memories of those years.