James H. Richards

James H. Richards October 13, 1933 - October 6, 2009 James H. Richards, 75, a piano technician in Waco for many years, died Tuesday, October 6, 2009, at a care facility in Arlington. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 9, at First Presbyterian Church, 1100 Austin Ave., with Rev. Jimmy Johnson officiating. Burial will follow at Waco Memorial Park. The family will receive visitors 6-8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 8, at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Garden Room. Mr. Richards was born in Palacios, TX, on Oct. 13, 1933, to Ira E. and Grace Zimmerman Richards. He moved to Waco in 1945, where he worked with his father at Richards Piano Service, which he took over after his father's death. He graduated from Waco High School in 1951 and earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in music from Baylor University. He married the love of his life, Betty Dove, on January 4, 1957. After completing his undergraduate degree at Baylor, he served in the Army as a chaplain's assistant, stationed at the Presidio in San Francisco. He taught music theory and literature at Baylor during the 1960s, then beginning in 1970 taught music to countless children from kindergarten through high school at Meridian, Cranfills Gap and Valley Mills public schools until his retirement in 1994. Mr. Richards retired from Richards Piano Service in 2004. He continued to be active at First Presbyterian Church, where he was a longtime member. He belonged to numerous organizations dedicated to musical instruments, including the Reed Organ Society, of which he was a founding member; the Piano Technicians Guild; The American Musicological Society; The American Musical Instrument Society; and the Organ Historical Society. Over the years he contributed many articles to publications of these organizations as well as several reference books on musical instruments. He was an avid reader and enjoyed the outdoors and spending time with family and friends. Mr. Richards was preceded in death by his wife in 1994. He is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Elaine Richards Hellmund and husband, Gerardo; and a grandson, Nicolas Hellmund, all of Arlington; several cousins; and many friends who will miss him dearly. Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Association of North Central Texas and to First Presbyterian Church of Waco. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our "Memorial Guestbook" at www.wilkirsonhatchbailey.com.