Elton P. Richards

The Rev. Dr. Elton Philips Richards, Jr., passed away peacefully on August 7, 2023.

He was born on July 24, 1932, and raised outside the town of Media in Delaware County, PA. He graduated

from Dickinson College in 1954 and served in the Army for two years, playing basketball in Special Services across Europe. After his military service, he surprised his family and friends by enrolling in the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia and was ordained in 1959. Later he received his master's in divinity from Princeton University, as well as honorary doctorates from Albright and Muhlenberg.Â

Pastor Richards often referred to himself as a "misfit in ministry." He was not a member of any church when, by the grace of God, he was accepted on probation at the seminary; this personal experience of God's grace was central to his ministry, and he was blessed by members in the congregations he served, whose strong faith inspired his own.

He was privileged to serve on the Board of Directors at three colleges and universities as well as at the Lutheran Seminary at Philadelphia, Community General Hospital, the Bank of Pennsylvania, and, in his senior years, at the Highlands at Wyomissing, where he was a longtime resident. Supportive congregations enabled him to assume a number of community and church-wide responsibilities through the years. He received the Torch Award from Israel for his work in ecumenism.

He served pastorates in Ardmore and Levittown, PA, before becoming Senior Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Reading for more than two decades. He served his last ten years before retirement as Senior Pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church in Des Moines, IA. A founding member of the Academy of Preachers in Philadelphia, he was the Lutheran preacher on the national radio program "The Protestant Hour," produced in Atlanta, GA. He also authored two books that were, in his words, "distinguished by their lack of sales." In retirement he served as

Interim Pastor for congregations in Iowa, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania. He was also the Interim Vice President for Advancement at Grand View University in Des Moines.

After moving to The Highlands, Pastor Richards taught ten years at the Seniors College at Alvernia University and received the St. Bonaventure Award for excellence in teaching. An avid sports fan, he had Penn State football season tickets for almost 50 years. He also was dedicated to Reading High sports, Duke University basketball, and Philadelphia's professional sports teams. In the off season, he cherished summers with family at Paradise Falls Lutheran Association in the Pocono Mountains.

Pastor Richards was predeceased by his wife of nearly sixty years, Anne (née Sohland) Richards, the rock of the family, and his brother, Dr. George Richards of Miami, FL. He is survived by two loving sons, E. Russell Richards of Wyomissing and David R. Richards (Shannon Barr) of New York City, as well as two adoring granddaughters, Samantha and Eleanor Richards, and nephews Pete (Jan), Dan (Chris), and Scott Richards.

The Richards family is eternally grateful to the staff and residents at The Highlands for their many years of friendship and continuing care. In lieu of flowers, gifts in Elton's memory may be made out to The Highlands at Wyomissing in support of Dementia Education programming at The Highlands at Wyomissing, Attn: VP of Development and Marketing, 2000 Cambridge Avenue, Wyomissing, PA 19610, or to the Paradise Falls Fund, Paradise Falls Lutheran Association, 146 Primrose Dr., Cresco, PA 18326.

A memorial service will be held on October 14, 2023 at 11:00 am at Trinity Lutheran Church in Reading, PA. Friends and relatives are invited to gather for visitation in the Hintz Room of the church from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the service.

Edward J. Kuhn Funeral Home, Inc, 739 Penn Avenue, West Reading, PA 19611 is honored to serve the Richards family. Condolences may be recorded at www.kuhnfuneralhomes.com