Billy D. Richardson

1st Lt. USAF (Ret), died Friday, January 31, 2014. He was born January 7, 1922 in Dunn, TX. He graduated from Lamesa High School in Lamesa, TX in June, 1940. Under the Operation Bootstrap program of the USAF, he graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1957. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps at Brooks Field, TX in June, 1940 and was assigned to the 32 Pursuit Squadron of the 36th Pursuit Group on Ponce, Puerto Rico. He worked in armament on the P-36 and the P-40 type aircraft. He returned stateside in early 1942 for further training as an aviation student. He graduated from Glider Pilot School at Ft. Sumner, NM in late 1942 and was promoted to Staff Sergeant. He requested further training as a bombardier and was assigned to Bombardier Class 43-14 at Roswell AFB at Roswell, NM. He graduated with the class on October 2, 1943 and was promoted to Second Lieutenant. During bombardier training, he was married to Mary Z. Tenorio of Albuquerque, NM. They were married 66 years when Mary went to Heaven on November 16, 2009. He was assigned to a B-17 crew in November 1943. After training they were assigned to the 91st Bomb Group of the 8th Air Force at Bassingborn, England. He completed 30 missions as a Bombardier on targets in Germany and German occupied territories. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters. He retired from the Air Force in 1967. He taught school at the Santa Fe Senior High School for 5 years. In 1976, he and his wife moved to Albuquerque. He worked as a Real Estate Agent for Century 21. A few years later, he retired again to their garden in the South Valley of Albuquerque. Billy was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Z. Richardson; father, William E. Richardson; and mother, Bessie Virginia Richardson. He is survived by nieces, Liz Romero and husband Ed, Lin Gill and husband Gary, and Sandra Griego; nephew, Holland Kirby. Rosary will be recited Wednesday, February 5 at 7:00 p.m. at FRENCH - University. Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, February 6 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Edwin Catholic Church, 2105 Barcelona SW, Albuquerque. A committal service with full military honors will follow at Santa Fe National Cemetery at 1:30 p.m. Friends may visit French-University Wednesday at 6:00 pm. Pallbearers will be Ed Romero, William Griego, Ruben Griego, Roger Duchaussee, Gary Gill, Al Montoya, and Holland Kirby. Special thanks to all of the staff at the Beehive, Whitman Location, for their wonderful care of our Uncle Billy.