About Lee
Lee C. Richardson, Jr. Lee passed away in his Inverness home on February 9, 2022 at the age of 92. A California native, Lee was born in San Francisco to May (neé Van Peer) and Lee C. Richardson, Sr. on July 30, 1929. His father was a merchant mariner and Commander in the Navy, serving in both World Wars. His mother owned several West Marin establishments, including the Inverness Lodge before it was Manka's, the Old Western Saloon, and the property that would become the Drakes View Drive tract of Inverness Park. While in high school, Lee answered the call for student volunteers to forgo classes and work in the shipyards on Mare Island to aid with the war effort. Following in his father's footsteps, Lee attended the U.S. Maritime Service Training Station at Sheepshead Bay, NY and then served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War on the U.S.S. Valley Forge. He returned to live in Inverness and married Lucile Trayer. He worked several jobs, including electrician for the RCA Coast Station in Point Reyes, before going into business with his younger brother Eddy to own and operate The Drake Highway Garage in downtown Inverness for decades to come. Lee was also involved with the Marin County Aviation Commission, The Point Reyes Lions Club, served as longtime Chair of the Western Weekend Committee, and was elected president of the Marin County Board of Education, where he advocated for special needs children and pushed for trade school programs to be started. A mariner and an aviator at heart, he loved being in the air or on the water more than being on land. When on land, he preferred racing cars or being outdoors. He spent many days on the edge of Tomales Bay or up at his beloved Webber Lake in the Sierras. If you lived in West Marin long enough to be a local, you knew him. If not, he probably shouted at you to 'slow down' while driving through downtown Inverness. He could often be found tending bar or holding court at Vladimir's, where he shared his sense of humor, strong opinions, and good nature with friends and strangers alike. Lee had a love for animals and was known for taking in local strays when they needed someone like him. He leaves behind his children, Lee Calvin "Skip" Richardson III, Linda Richardson Simon, and Leslie Charles Richardson; as well as seven grandchildren and 12 or so great-grandchildren. He couldn't keep them all straight, so we won't try to list them here. Lee may have been a biological father to a few, but he was a father figure to many over the years.
Lee, you will be missed and also remembered.