Beatrice Richie

Beatrice Jourdain Richie passed away, surrounded by family, at her home in Lyndhurst, Ohio on Saturday, April 11, 2009. She is survived by her beloved husband of 55 years, Winston H. Richie, DDS, her dear children, Winston H., Jr. Charlotte, Beth Richie Cathy J. Cohen, Laurel J. Richie and Anne C. Richie. Also celebrating Bea's life and legacy are her five grandchildren: Leigh and Kara Richie, Alexander and Camille Hohl, and Ella Cohen-Richie. She was born Beatrice Lenora Jourdain in New Bedford, Massachusetts, on May 25th, 1929. Upon graduating from the local public high school, she traveled to Nashville, Tennessee to attend Fisk University where she received her B.A. in 1951. The next year she moved to Cleveland to attend Western Reserve University Library School. There she not only received her Masters Degree in Library Science, she met her future husband, Winston H. Richie, a fellow student at Case Western Reserve Dental School. Beatrice's commitment to building a strong family was equally matched by her commitment to building a strong community through volunteerism and community service. She was one of the founding members of the Ludlow Community Association, a multi-racial group of Shaker Heights homeowners dedicated to maintaining diversity. She served as a member of the Board of Directors of several organizations, including Health Hill Hospital, The Friendly Inn Settlement House, The Garden Valley Association and the Case Western Reserve Board of Visitors. She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, The Carousels, and a member of the Cleveland Chapter of The Links. In her later years, she became a Stephen Minister at her beloved Fairmount Presbyterian Church, where she and her husband became the first African-American members. She derived great joy from this calling as a Stephen Minister, touching countless lives in her capacity as both a counselor and a mentor for other lay ministers. Recently, she established the Beatrice Jourdain Richie Family Fund, where the family prefers that contributions may be made to the fund in recognition of her generous heart and spirit, sending these in care of the Cleveland Foundation, 1422 Euclid Avenue, Suite 1300, Cleveland Ohio 44115. A private family service is planned. For additional information, directions, complete obituary and to sign the guestbook, please log online to www.Brown-Forward.com . BROWN-FORWARD SERVICE 216 752-1200


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