21. Jim Richardson

Jim was one of the thousands of people who came to our area in 1990 when the Super-Collider project was getting started in Waxahachie. For Jim and wife Denise, it was something of a homecoming for two South Texas natives. And when the project was scrubbed a few years later, those Texas roots kept the Richardsons here when so many employees left the state.

Jim was a junior at St. Augustine Catholic High School in Laredo and Denise was a freshman when they met. Leave it to a member of the Knights of Columbus to be married on Columbus Day, in 1963. Jim’s career took them to Washington, D.C., where he served in the Reagan administration as Hispanic Relations Liaison during the 1980s. Jim graduated from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio with a business degree. He reactivated his Knights membership in 2008 at the urging of Jim Kowalski, then he and his son became Fourth Degree Knights at the same exemplification ceremony in 2009. He retired in 2008, his last position in the business world being director of employee relations for Verizon. Jim served our council in his first year as Chancellor and was Faithful Scribe for Assembly 2799. He then went on to serve as our Grand Knight during the 2016-2018 fraternal years.

Jim and Denise will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Oct. 12, 2023. Denise has been very active at Holy Spirit and has been a member of the Carmelite Order for 25 years. The Richardsons have four children and one grandchild. Denise Martin lives in Round Rock. Judith Richardson-Fisher lives in Georgetown. Lisa Richardson-Henderson lives in Coppell. “Young” Jim lives in Corinth near Denton.