Age 99 and one month, Mary Lou died peacefully in her sleep in her apartment at The Kenney. Born on Yancy Street in West Seattle November 2, 1913 to Walter Killeen and Gertrude (Barnecut) Killeen, she was proud of her Barnecut family pioneer heritage. The Killeen family spent two years homesteading in the Priest Rapids area of eastern Washington from 1916-1918. When they returned to West Seattle, the family bought a home on SW Mills Street. Mary Lou attended Gatewood School, graduated from West Seattle High School in 1931, and stayed on at WSHS for two years of post-graduate secretarial study. Then she went to work for the manager of Peoples National Bank in West Seattle where she met her husband, Wayne Harding Richardson. They were married September 11, 1937. Wayne and Mary Lou had lots of fun together golfing, bowling, and socializing during the early years of their marriage until WWII. They moved to an apartment in West Seattle where they welcomed their first child, Susan Lea, born in 1943. Mary Lou and Sue joined Wayne in Manchuria in 1947. After the China experience, they all returned to West Seattle and welcomed Janice Lynn to the family in 1948.
Mary Lou served the Lafayette Elementary School PTA for many years and also volunteered in the Lafayette PTA Kitchen Band. She was a 50 plus-year member of West Seattle Garden Club and served on the board of the West Seattle YWCA, the Arboretum Foundation and the Seattle Visiting Nurse Service. She also served as 1931 Class Rep for the WSHS Alumni Association.
Mary Lou was predeceased by her parents, her brother, Kenneth Killeen, and her husband, Wayne Richardson. She is survived by her daughters, Sue Richardson Whittenberg, West Seattle, and Janice Richardson (Bruce) Stell, Missoula, MT; grandchildren, Kathryn Conder (TX), John Whittenberg (CA), Leslie Whittenberg (LA), Andrew Whittenberg (WA), Ken Whittenberg (MT), Josh Stell (NV), Wayne Stell (MT), and Ruth Stell (AZ); four great-granddaughters, the youngest her namesake, Lillian Louise, and three great-great-grandchildren. She is also survived by fifteen first cousins, numerous other cousins, and many new and a few old friends.
Funeral services were held December 7, 2012 at Forest Lawn Funeral Home and Cemetery, burial following. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Kenney Life Care Fund, 7125 Fauntleroy Avenue SW, Seattle 98136 or WSHS Alumni Scholarship, 3000 California Avenue SW, Seattle, WA 98116.
