Jack Merwin Richards

Jack Merwin Richards, a father, grandfather and great grandfather, and retired chemical engineer was called to heaven on September 5, 2016 at the age of 83 in Denver, Colorado. Jack was born in Lamar, Colorado on February 23, 1933 to Helen and Elmer Richards. Jack's dad, Elmer raised chinchillas and was also a coin collector who created different furniture with coins he had collected. Jack was stricken with polio when he was 14 years old. It was a lifelong struggle that Jack overcame every day of his life. In his teen years, Jack was placed in a full body cast for over a year due to the effects of polio and even then, he continued to fight on. Jack attended the University of Colorado, earning a degree in Chemical Engineering. After graduating CU Jack was employed by Standard Oil and Co. and moved to Indiana where he met Laura Ann Irvin on a bus. The two became an item and were married in Whiting, Indiana in 1956. While in Indiana, the couple's first two children were born, Jay Merwin and Kamala Gail. The oil business was booming in Wyoming and the family soon moved to Cheyenne for a better life and to help control Jay's asthma. In Cheyenne, the family still longed for another child and adopted a boy, Kyle Tor. As a family of five they moved to Denver and lived in Littleton, which is now Centennial, for over 40 years. Jack's work took him to Houston for a year where he and Laura lived after their children were grown. It only took one sweltering summer and Jack and Laura were ready to come back to the Centennial State. Jack and Laura were also small business owners, as they ran Katrina's Bakery in Littleton for a brief time before ceasing operations. Jack was a member of the United Methodist Church in Littleton and carried that UMC membership with him when he and Laura moved back to Cheyenne during their golden years. In his later years, Jack learned to paint and produced 100s of unique landscape canvases spanning the Colorado Rockies to the Sonoran Desert. Jack also spent years and years studying and tracing his family genealogy an interest that many of his progeny have also taken up. While Jack was a man with an engineering brain, he was always a family man, dedicated to his wife, children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Even in the years after retirement, he still was active with his church and always did the crossword. He loved anything that allowed his active mind to continue working. Jack is preceded in death by his wife Laura, son Jay, daughter Kamala and sister Marlene. He is survived by his son Kyle (Dianne) of Thornton, grandchildren Lissell (Drew) Archer of Highlands Ranch, Zach (Winter) Richards of Littleton, Jeremiah (Jillian) Schenzel of Charleston, South Carolina, Jonas Schenzel of Reno, Nevada, Helen Richards of Thornton and great grandchildren Drew Archer Jr, Paxton Richards, Paul Archer, Eli Richards, Hadley and Kayleigh Schenzel. Service will be held at 1:00pm on Saturday, September 17, at Cheyenne United Methodist Church, 108 E 18th St, Cheyenne, WY 82001. In lieu of flowers please send donations to ASPCA.