Grace F. Richey

I’ll have no grave, No casket full of stagnant air and bones which are not me. I need not take up earthly space on which a child might play or lovers roam. No grave, for I prefer to know That I shall be a living epitaph. I raised a child; five times and more, so many more. I taught a poem, I sang a song Whose strains will ring eternally. I need no grave. I had my life, now life has me. I will not really die for I have lived And in the living, loved and shared. As those before have lived in me So I shall live through others. *This poem was written by Grace in 1980 and published in the Oregonian in April 1982. Long-time Tigard resident, educator and musician Grace Richey died peacefully December 5, 2012. Gracewas born July 5, 1930 in Tacoma to Jack and Ethel (Scheyer) Fullager. She attended Stadium High School and graduated from the College of Puget Sound where she met her husband, William Richey. She was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. Grace and Bill moved to Portland in 1955 and to Tigard in 1961. Grace taught music, English and penmanship at Renne (Newberg) and Fowler (Tigard) Junior High Schools. Grace was a talented and skilled musician. She sang and travelled with the Adelphian Choir in college and the Carillon Singers in Tigard. Grace was choir director for over 20 years at the Tigard United Methodist Church, as well as at Christ the King Lutheran Church. Her passion for music and her countless hours in the choir loft enriched the lives of many. She will also be remembered for all those summers driving busloads of Tigard kids, cousins and other visitors to pick berries and beans at Hawman Farms. Grace is survived by her five children – Dana Herms (Tim), Kristin Tucker (Rick Greenfield), Jodi Duty (Mark), Erin Buell, and John (Beth); her husband Bill; 11 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren; her two sisters, Alice (Bud) Sanders and Jackie Robison; her dear cousin Mary Baird; her sister-in-law Sue Richey; and numerous nieces and nephews. Grace’s family would like to thank Cedar Crest Alzheimer’s Special Care Center for their loving care of Grace in recent years, as well as Hospice of the Northwest. A memorial celebration will be held Saturday, December 29, at 2 pm at Tigard United Methodist Church, 9845 S.W. Walnut Place, Tigard. In honor of Grace, the family invites you to consider a gift to Oregon Public Broadcasting or the University of Puget Sound; or to support music education or hospice efforts of your choice. Arrangements by Autumn Funerals, Tigard.