Catherine Mary Richardson

Catherine Mary (Muri) Richardson, 97, died peacefully at Osceola Regional Medical Center in Kissimmee, FL on January 14, 2020 after a short illness. She was born on August 6,1922 in Natick, MA and was the daughter of the late Raymond and Julia Ann (Haggerty) Muri. After her mother died at an early age, her father married Raffaelina (Bellantuoni) and they resided thereafter in Framingham, MA. In total, Catherine lived in Framingham for over 65 years. She was the loving mother of 5 children. She was predeceased by a son, Michael (Diane) Richardson, a daughter, Joanne (Frank) Crosby, and a granddaughter, Emily Catherine Crosby. She is survived by her children, Eileen Baye (her husband Clayton) of Port St. Lucie, FL, Kathleen Marino (her husband Joseph) of Effingham, NH, and a son, Thomas Richardson (his wife Catherine) of Kissimmee, FL, 11 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren, her sister Gloria Erickson (her husband Richard) of Framingham, MA, her brother Raymond Muri (his wife Debbie) of Ashland, MA, and cousins, nieces and nephews. Catherine graduated from Framingham High School in 1940. During WWII, 1943-1945, she served as a Pharmacist’s mate third class in the United States Navy WAVES, being stationed at the Navy Dept. in Washington, D.C. and The Naval Hospital at Bethesda, Maryland. She was one of the first participants in the CEDAR educational program in Framingham and was thereafter employed by Zayre Corporation and later at Sun Life of Canada in Wellesley, MA until her retirement in 1991. Following in the footsteps of her father, she was a longtime participant in the Framingham Heart Study. Catherine “Kay”, was a big fan of the New England Patriots and always wanted to make sure she knew when they’d be on local TV. She loved nature and greatly appreciated the beauty of flowers, birds and animals. She enjoyed watching a variety of birds while living in New England and Florida, and feeding the ducks at a small pond outside her residence at Consulate Healthcare of Kissimmee, FL. Catherine had an amazing sense of humor and an exceptional memory that was still going strong in her advancing years. One of her most cherished childhood memories was of taking an open cockpit bi-plane flight with her father at Gould Farm Airport, later known as the Framingham Airport, located on the future site of the General Motors plant on Western Ave. She enriched the lives of those who came to know her and made many friends, young and old, until her passing. She was greatly loved and will be greatly missed. In keeping with Catherine’s wishes and at a date still undetermined, there will be a military honor guard ceremony and a reading of a poem at her final resting place in the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery located in Mims, FL. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the American Cancer Society.

Catherine Mary Richardson

August 6, 1922 - January 14, 2020