Taylor Funeral Home

Obituaries
Jean Richardson
Date of Death or Service Nov 5, 2022
Jean Richardson
share

Born Peggy Jean Scott on December 19, 1931 in Nashville, TN, Jean—as her friends lovingly called her—was a devoted wife, sister, mother, aunt, great aunt, grandmother, and great grandmother. She passed away on October 20, 2022, surrounded by loved ones. 

Her parents Mabel and J.B. Scott resided in East Nashville. She had one sister Evelyn who was her lifelong confidante and best friend. Jean and Evelyn tragically lost their father at the age of 4 when he was killed during his route as a Pepsi delivery man. As a result of this early loss, Jean developed a close bond with her paternal grandmother, ‘Granny Scott,’ who had roots in White Bluff. Jean would often reminisce that her Granny Scott was who inspired her dedication as a loving grandmother.

Jean was a true natural beauty and dreamed of being a movie star, like Betty Grable. In her youth, she would take the bus by herself downtown to watch the latest films. On one such bus ride, she traveled to the local radio station to sing “South of the Border” live on air, winning a prize of $5. She developed an early sense of boldness and independence growing up during the Second World War.

In 1948, Jean’s life changed forever when she met Bobby Richardson at church. On their first date, he took her to the county fair. It was not long after that when Bobby told her Granny Scott that he intended to marry Jean. He came from a large, interdependent family that was different from anything she had experienced before. With 6 siblings, many of whom were musicians, Bobby’s home was loud and chaotic at times, but it was always bursting with love and abundant food. In her own words, Jean found it ‘simply marvelous.’ To her, it immediately felt like home.

Bobby and Jean were married on September 4, 1953. Their love story endured through life’s ups and downs and remained steadfast for 69 years. 

Jean latched onto the Richardson family’s philosophy and made it her own as a wife, mother, and grandmother. Strangers were always welcome in Jean’s home as she lived by the mantra: “The best place to be is together.” She was a gracious host and made her home a place of love and warmth. She had an abundant gift closet and made a point to teach her children and grandchildren the value of handwritten thank you cards.

Jean had two loving and devoted daughters, Barbara and Beverly. Barbara and her mom shared a love of literature and reading. Jean was Barbara’s strongest supporter as she earned her RN degree. Beverly enjoyed the outdoors, working on cars with her father, construction and carpentry, and tiny home living. Jean never wavered in her endless encouragement of whatever brought her girls joy.

Jean spent many years in the PTA and was highly involved in the girls’ schooling. She quickly earned a reputation for standing up for children who may be forgotten or overlooked. She was a surrogate mother to any child who needed extra love or compassion. One of her proudest memories was representing her community at the national PTA conference in New York.

At almost 40 years old, Jean decided she wanted to learn how to drive and obtained her driver’s license. She also embarked on a new career, as the first Clinique beauty counter representative in Nashville at Cain Sloan’s. She loved working downtown and enjoyed educating women about how to care for their skin. This love of beauty would continue to be an influence throughout the rest of her life. She had a passion for skincare and making people feel beautiful, and visitors often left her home with the perfect bag of products. She often advised on the merits of sunscreen, moisturizing and hydrating. She even led skincare classes for women who were incarcerated in the county jail. 

Beautiful Jean also had a love of football. She quoted stats, starting line ups and gave detailed report on key players. From the days of Bear Bryant, she developed a love for Alabama. Jean could tell you any detail about Coach Nick Saban, down to his charitable contributions. She enjoyed the Titans on Sundays and Coach Fisher was always a favorite. 

Jean had a radiance and joy that drew others to her. Not surprisingly, she had an abundance of friends that added color and vibrancy to her life. She was President of the Dickson Friendship Club and enjoyed planning events and gatherings. 

Jean was immensely proud of her grandchildren and said that she was born to be a grandmother. She was never short on stories, and every room in her house is decorated with countless family photos. She had a unique and precious bond with each one of her grandchildren. Jean and firstborn grandchild Jill had a magical bond, from days of singing ‘You Are My Sunshine’ to being the foundational layer of who Jill grew to be. Jordan was the little boy that Jean never had. She was endlessly proud of his every accomplishment and always extolled his abilities and gifts. Carly, the youngest grandchild, was artistic and unassuming, but her grandmother never let her forget how beautiful she was. She never failed to mail Alexis, her only great-granddaughter, a monthly card with a note of encouragement and pride about her future as a doctor. The additions of Remy and Harry added an extra layer of happiness, complete with social media, Tik Toks and lego-building. In between visits and phone calls, Jean loved keeping up with her family on Facebook. Staying connected to her loved ones was her ultimate joy.

Everyone who knew Jean was touched by the depth of her compassion and caring nature. She supported everyone she met through any endeavor, no matter how unconventional, paying close attention to the smallest details. In both word and deed, she embodied the true definition of unconditional love.

Jean was preceded in death by her beloved sister, Evelyn Hix and her childhood best friend, Emily Logue.

She’s survived by her devoted husband, Bobby Richardson, daughters Barbara Hunter and Beverly Clark, granddaughter Jill Langer and her husband Menachem Langer, grandson Jordan Clark, granddaughter Carly Clark, great granddaughter Alexis Bolling, and bonus grandchildren Harry and Remy Langer. Additionally, left to miss her are two adopted family members, “Doc” Brown and Jimmy Graves. 

 

In her last days she was able to sit on her back porch in the sunshine and spend time with her bashful cat, Little Girl. 

The life and legacy of Jean Richardson will be celebrated on Saturday, November 5, 2022 at Western Hills Church, located at 7565 Charlotte Pike, Nashville, Tennessee. Visitation will begin at 1:00pm with services commencing at 2:00pm and a meal to follow.

 

horseherse

Recent Obituaries

Other Links

About the Site

Taylor Funeral Home, Inc. has endeavored to provide the most up-to-date information for the families we serve. We trust that you will find the information listed on this website to be of value to you.