Dorothy Sylling Richards

Dorothy Sylling Richards died Sunday, May 29, 2016.  She was born September 18, 1934 in Spring Grove, Minnesota to Oberlin James Sylling and Julia Qualey Sylling, both of whom preceded her in death.  The second of two children, she is survived by her brother Ronald O. Sylling and family of Denver, Colorado. Spring Grove is still a small village in the middle of farm country in extreme southeast Minnesota. Her father owned and ran the family grain and stock elevator there.  Grammar school and high school were in the same three-story brick building and every student in the school knew every other student, regardless of age.  She was naturally an excellent ice skater.

Dorothy left Spring Grove to attend Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota.  It was her dream from the time of her childhood to become a teacher and that is the path she chose upon graduation.  Along the way she worked for a summer at the Yellowstone Lodge in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.  There she met her future husband, John F. Richards, and moved to Lynchburg, where she taught for a year in the Lynchburg Public Schools before their wedding. The next few years brought her four children. She is survived by three sons, James R. Richards and his wife, Lisa; John F. Richards, Jr. and his wife, Nancy; Thomas S. Richards and his wife, Katie – all of Lynchburg – and a daughter, Joanne R. Burton and her husband, Danks, of Raleigh, North Carolina.  Dorothy was blessed with ten grandchildren and two step-grandchildren.  She was much loved by Michele Fredericks and her husband Jonathan, Laura Ramsey and her husband Drew, Jake Burton, Julia Burton, Jessica Richards, Drew Burton, Maegan Richards, Rebecca Richards, Sophie Richards, Annabelle Richards, Lucy Williams, and Emily Williams.  Also surviving her are two great-grandchildren, Greyson Fredericks and Elias Fredericks.  She would also want her many lifelong friends to know how dear they were to her.

Dorothy was a kind and generous person and was active in the Lynchburg community her entire adult life.  She was a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church, the Ragged Robin Garden Club, the Junior League of Lynchburg, and numerous other organizations.  She loved her gardens and gardening and raised many beautiful flowers.  For those inclined to make a gift in her memory, the family asks that you consider St. John’s Episcopal Church or the Fellowship Fund at Westminster-Canterbury of Lynchburg.

Visitation will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Monday, June 6th at Tharp Funeral Home, Lynchburg.  A memorial service celebrating her life will be held on Tuesday, June 7th at 2:30 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church.  Interment will be at Spring Hill Cemetery.

Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family.