Elizabeth Kotsrean Richards died on Nov. 11, 2024 at Noble Horizons Retirement Community in Salisbury, Conn., surrounded by her family. She was 93.
Born on June 4, 1931 in St. Louis, Mo., Liz was the daughter of Chester William Kotsrean and Beatrice Jennings. She graduated in 1949 from the John Burroughs School and studied child development at Connecticut College, where she met Trinity College student Noble “Nobby” Richards on a blind date. Liz graduated in 1953, and the couple married on Nov. 23, 1954.
A month after their wedding, Noble was posted to Japan with the U.S. Air Force. Liz followed and immersed herself in Japanese culture, teaching English in Tokyo’s public schools and exploring the island of Honshu. On one memorable trip to Hiroshima, she was struck by the kindness people showed her, a woman whose nation had dropped an atomic bomb on the city 10 years earlier.
Noble returned to the U.S. in 1956 and began teaching math at the South Kent School in Connecticut. After their three sons were born, Liz became a mother figure to many students and faculty children.
In 1977, Liz joined the faculty as an English teacher, and in 1991, Noble was appointed headmaster. After retiring, Liz continued to tutor students, maintaining her strong connections to the school.
Liz and Noble vacationed in Truro starting in the late 1950s. In 1961, they bought a house on North Pamet Road, where they spent summers swimming, surfing, and sailing. Over the years, the house was expanded twice, with three generations gathering in a tradition that became the heartbeat of their family life.
Every July 4th, Liz organized a softball game. Their Sunday beach picnics were also a highlight; friends and family returned year after year to share joy and camaraderie.
Liz loved simple pleasures. Early mornings in Truro often found her curled up on the living room couch with a grandchild, surrounded by stacks of books and wrapped in her collection of knit blankets, reading story after story.
After retiring, Liz and Noble divided their time between Truro and Kent, and Liz transitioned into a life filled with biking, walking, swimming, reading, and playing tennis and bridge. Liz will be remembered for her kindness, her generous spirit, and the gentle way she nurtured both minds and hearts.
She is survived by her three sons, Timothy and wife Margaret Clarke of Washington, D.C., James and wife Yvonne Richards of South Kent, Conn., and Andrew and wife Kristin Richards of South Kent, Conn.; six grandchildren, Sarah of Denver, Colo., Charlotte of Virginia, Rachel of Hamden, Conn., Christopher of Avon, Conn., Hannah of Litchfield, Conn., and Audrey Richards of South Kent; and a great-granddaughter, Lillian Crownover.
A memorial service will be held in the spring at South Kent School. In lieu of flowers, donations in Liz’s memory can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Noble Horizons, or South Kent School.
