Glenn Earl Richardson, born July 25, 1945 in Burlington, Washington, passed away April 3, 2017 at his home in Chesaw, Washington from complications of renal failure.

He was surrounded by his closest family: His loving wife, Kim Renner; his daughter, Audra Aulabaugh; his son Tod Earl Richardson and Tod’s wife, Sharon Richardson and dear friend Peg Roulet. Additionally, he is survived by his mother, Bertie Richardson; his sisters, Myrna Harrison (Bill) and Irlene Johnson (Wayne); son-in-law Nathan Gaul; grandchildren Kylie, Madaline, Ethan, Adelynn and great-grandson Jude. He is also survived by Peg’s daughter Heidi Lundberg (Andrew), who he loved like a second daughter. Glenn is preceded in death by his father Earl Richardson and his step-mom Kay Richardson.

While Glenn’s passing is hard for many, he spent his final days surrounded by friends, family, stories and lore. He will be forever remembered as a father to many.

Glenn proudly served his country in the United States Army and was honorably discharged from Fort Richardson, Alaska in 1969. He was a notable marksman which inevitably came in handy during hunting trips. Glenn and his first wife Karen (Berg) Sydnes lived in Anchorage, Alaska where they successfully operated Glenn’s Sand Lake Texaco up until 1979, when they ultimately decided to pack-up and move down to the great state of Washington.

He was an avid outdoorsman. His love of hunting and the great outdoors was instrumental in bringing him to the Okanogan Highlands where he had spent many prior hunting seasons in this amazing country. His passion for fishing in the local lakes and hunting in the mountains surrounding his highland’s home was something he spoke fondly of and told stories about until his final days.

Glenn was a committed member of the Chesaw Rodeo Club starting in 1981 and spent springs ensuring that his part in the rodeo would help the grand event go off without a hitch come July 4th. To his chagrin, he was named the 2011 Grand Marshall for the Chesaw Rodeo. Striving to continuously play a role in the community, Glenn was also a member of the Molson-Chesaw Volunteer Fire Department since its founding in 1983 where he proudly served as volunteer and Commissioner, fighting many local wildfires over the years.

Glenn’s true passion was farming. As a young boy and throughout his teenage years, he worked on his uncle’s dairy farm in Day Creek, Wash. prior to his years in Alaska. After moving to the Highlands he farmed hay all over the Okanogan but concentrated his efforts in Bolster, as well as the surrounding areas of Wannacut Lake. He raised Quarter horses, steers, chickens and even the occasional pig. His dogs were known as “family.” He worked in the local fruit industry and enjoyed all parts of raising a fruit crop and truly excelled at producing high-quality fruit products out of the Okanogan Valley.

Glenn prided himself on being a good neighbor. He was never more than a phone call away — be it something mechanical to repair or perhaps a steer on the loose. He was always there to help at a moment’s notice. He will be missed by those left behind who have always leaned in to listen to his famous campfire stories, open-house sledding parties at his home on New Year’s Eve, all his help at local events and, of course, his Santa Claus, bright, red cheeks.

A community service will be held to honor Glenn’s amazing life at the Chesaw Rodeo Hall on Saturday, May 6 at 12 p.m. All are welcome to come and share in celebration of his life. A potluck will follow with everyone’s favorite dish. We plan to eat, laugh and visit in Glenn’s honor. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Chesaw Rodeo Club or the Molson-Chesaw Fire Department in his name.