Clarice E. (Brown) Richardson

Clarice Brown Richardson was born in Baltimore on December 9, 1915 to Sarah Smith and George A. Brown, Sr. She departed this life on March 24, 2007.

A devout Catholic, she attended St. Barnabus Church and school, both located on Biddle Street and Argyle Avenue.

She finished her training at "Rockdale" in Virginia and the Douglas High School, then later continued at the Cortez Peters Business School where she learned to type.

Clarice met and fell in love with the talented Charles Richardson ("Chuck Richards"). They were married and became the proud parents of two boys, Charles Jr. and Harold. She lived in New York for several years  while "Chuck" was a featured singer with the Lucky Millner Band playing at the Cotton Club.. She also traveled to Australia to be with him while he sang with Fletcher Hendorsor's Orchestra. Clarice loved to travel, to play the piano and reading.

In the early 1960's she found employment with two eye specialists, Dr. Tom Jones and Dr. Witthem. She also worked at the Maryland School for the Blind and at the State House Building for Maryland Vital Statistics.

She was survived by her two sons, two daughters-in-law, grandchildren, great grandchildren, seven of her siblings, and a host of other relatives and friends when she transitioned.

Funeral Services were held at St. Cecilia Roman Catholic Church on Friday, March 30, 2007.. Pallbearers were Steve Brown, Mark Glaze, Anthony Carpenter, Harold Richardson, Charles Richardson III, and Martin Glaze. Interment was at the New Cathedral Cemetery, 4500 Old Frederick Road, following the Service.

Chuck Richards, an entertainer and former staff announcer for WMAR-TV, died yesterday at his Towson home at the age of 71. He suffered from cancer.

A memorial service for Mr. Richards will be held at 10 am next Saturday at Saint Pius X Church, 6428 York Road.

Mr. Richards, whose real name was Charles Richardson retired from Channel 2 in 1978 after working as a staff announcer for 14 years. He also served as assistant director of public affairs for the station.

Mr. Richards "was one of the more gentle human beings I've ever known," said George Collins, a WMAR colleague who worked with him for 10 years. "As far as the station goes, he was a valued employee and a gracious person."

A Baltimore native and a 1931 graduate of Douglass High School, he began his career as a singer in New York. He performed with Chick Webb and Fletcher Henderson and sang at Harlem's Cotton Club. He was  a featured performer on New York Radio and sang all over the world.

In an interview with The Baltimore Sun in 1978, he recalled the days when "my manager was the same one Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway and Bing Crosby, the Mills Brothers, the Boswell Sisters and Milton Berle had."

He returned to Baltimore in 1941 to be with his family and worked as a free-lance disc jockey, first with WITH.  He had a regular nightly show on WBAL radio for 16 years and was the first black on a 50,000 watt station.

He was a free-lance producer for "Tomorrow's Stars," the first black regularly sponsored black show on baltimore television.

After retiring from WMAR, Mr. Richards worked as a customer relations executive for Baltimore Contractors, Inc. and had been working in public relations for the Central Medical Center.

He graduated from Morgan State University at the age of 50.

In the Sun article, he was described as an animal lover who kept an Amazon parrot, a cockatiel and an 18-inch fish in his home. He also had about 200 smoking pipes, which he began collecting because his idol, Bing Crosby, smoked a pipe.

Mr. Richards was active in many community organizations. He served as local host of the Jerry Lewis telethon for muscular dystrophy and was a member of the board of the Maryland chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

he served as vice president of the Rotary Club  of Baltimore and as a president of Big Brothers of Maryland and the Salvation Army Boys Club Council. He was a member of the Advertising Club of Baltimore  and the Lexington Market Authority.

He also served on the boards of the Baltimore chapters of the Red Cross, the Family and Children's Society, the Community Chest, the Midtown Optimist Club, the Maryland Society for the Prevention of Blindness, the Heart Association of Maryland, the Better Business Bureau, Maryland General Hospital, Union Memorial Hospital and the Governor's Committee to Promote Employment of the Handicapped.

He is survived by hi wife, the former nelly villegas, two sons, Charles A. Richardson, Jr. of Baltimore and Harold B. Richardson of Alaska; a sister, Minerva Carter of baltimore; a brother, Leonard Richardson of Baltimore; and six grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Saint Pius X Church in care of the Rev. thomas Baumgartner.

This article appeared in the Obituary section of The Baltimore Sun