Greenhill mourns the passing of Greenhill Legend Lorene Richardson, who died on Saturday, February 6, 2021, due to complications from the COVID-19 virus.
Richardson, the longest tenured employee in Greenhill history, began working in the cafeteria in 1967. She became the food services manager in 1973, a position she held for 40 years, spending her days ensuring the Greenhill community was well fed. Richardson retired in 2013 after 46 years at Greenhill.
In an era of five-day rotating menus, members of the Greenhill community remember Thursdays fondly because the smell of fried chicken was always in the air. “For generations of Greenhill students, Lorene’s warm and welcoming smile and her uncanny ability to remember all our names fed our spirits, while her Ranger cookies, chicken fried steak, and real-deal cream gravy fed our souls,” Assistant Head of School Tom Perryman ’81 recalled.
Former Head of Middle School and fellow Greenhill Legend, Lucinda Carter, remembers, “I never heard Lorene say a harsh word. She fed us well for many, many years. She had a generous spirit and wonderful smile.”
Richardson was the first person to be named an Honorary Alumna by the Greenhill Alumni Association in 1988, and a Heart of the Hill legacy group was named in her honor in 2011.
Richardson is survived by her husband, Robert, daughter Tara Richardson ’87, and grandsons, David and Kennard. The family is not holding a memorial service.
The Greenhill Family sends its deepest condolences to the Richardson family.
Photo credit: John Derryberry
