Charlotte Richardson, beloved wife and best friend of D. Kenneth Richardson of Santa Barbara, passed away peacefully on November 17. She leaves behind Ken; her stepsons Bruce (Michèle) and Duke (Annalee); her grandchildren Andrew, David, James, and Danielle; her sister Sue; and her nieces Amy, Vicki, and Susan, and their families. Charlotte will be greatly missed and her memory will be cherished by her family and friends.

Charlotte Anne Whitlow was born on January 14, 1940, to Orvan and Myrtle Whitlow in Horse Cave, Kentucky. She was the younger sister of Sue and Charles. She grew up in Horse Cave and Bowling Green, and earned a Library Science degree from the University of Kentucky. Charlotte had a long and enjoyable career at Hughes Aircraft, starting as an executive assistant and rising to be in charge of the company’s senior management training program. After retirement, she married Ken, a former president of Hughes, and settled in Santa Barbara. She and Ken travelled the world, sharing many wonderful adventures together and with their family and friends. All who knew Charlotte described her as elegant and graceful. She was an accomplished golfer, a party planner and hostess extraordinaire, a great reader, and a doting, fun-loving grandma, nicknamed Charlee and Tutu (Hawaiian for grandma).

A private memorial service to bid farewell to our beloved Charlotte will be held on December 1st at 10:00.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Charlotte’s name to one or more of the following: The Turnpike Road Church of Christ in Goleta, CA; the Orvan and Myrtle Whitlow Scholarship Program at the University of Kentucky; or the Santa Barbara Zoo.