James Richardson Obituary

To my beloved husband, friend, and soul mate,
The huge hole in my heart is slowly being filled with that special kind of love that will last an eternity. I am forever grateful for the love you have shown for our son, Mike. You demonstrated to him what true kindness, graciousness, generosity, and humbleness means. You are a true gentleman.

We will one day meet again in paradise on the beaches of Maui as we watch the whales frolicking in the distance. I will ride with you in the golf cart again at Kapalua while you search for that perfect hole in one!

As you wait for me with our furry friends Shiloh, Yogi, and Blacky, Brutus and I will dream of the day we all can spend on the beach watching the dawn and dusk of life take us into eternity together. I promise I will finally listen to you when you try to talk sports to me and maybe that will help your beloved Cubs finally win the Big One!

One other thing-thank you for the sign you left me saying you are OK. I will never look at the color brown in the same way again! The joke is on me this time!

Until we meet together in eternity, my love, you will be in my heart forever. You have been my heart, my soul, my life. I am thankful for every second of every day we have spent together as a family. Adieu until then! Your loving wife, Barbara

Jim--So gifted, so kind, so young and handsome, so loved. He inspired us all. We will miss him.

In life we shave each other and swiftly obliterate the acquaintance unless we are peers—for we started our journey at the same time; we greet, nudge each other and soon discount the compeer unless we are schoolmates—for we shaped our minds and built our dreams together. After graduation fellow students usually depart and disperse over long distances, will hardly have any reason for seeing each other again. But we became colleagues, working side by side, soaring the ups and dodging the downs, always clinging to each other as stars affixed to a constellation. Occasionally, I looked up and preened myself on the brightness of my own star. But one day a companion star fell and my starlight vanished… then I realize I shone only because of the brilliance of my generous companion.

Like all of you, I am deeply saddened by Jim Richarson’s passing. Jim had been so close to me for twenty some years, as Iowa Staters in Ames, as coworkers at Argonne, and as cross-town neighbors in Lemont, yet I was so far away at the last moments of his life. Our friendship began in the early years of IPNS. While we spent a great deal of time at work, contriving a propitious niche for IPNS, it was Jim who showed me that there were other wonders besides work. He loved sports, helped organize weekly volleyball (or wallyball?) games, seasonal golf practices, and yearly picnics, bringing friends together to enjoy a good time. Rosa and I went to our first and the only Bulls’ game (seeing Michael Jordan played) with Jim.

In 1998 I asked Jim to act for me as the IPNS Neutron Scattering Group Leader during my trip to Japan. Upon return three months later I found Jim had done such a marvelous job, with utmost enthusiasm and competence, far better than I could ever attain. No one could be more deserving than Jim being the leader of the Group. Since then history speaks for itself: the Group thrived and Jim eventually became the Deputy Division Director. Looking back, I am pleased with my volition and thankful to Jim’s acceding to the job.

Jim taught me neutron powder diffraction—doing experiments and analyzing data. Whenever seeking Jim’s advice, no questions would go unanswered and no answers coming from Jim were cursory speculation. Recalling Jim’s generous counseling, my mind mourns the forever missing of his comradeship. Knowing Jim as a loving husband and father, my heart goes out to his beloved family on the momentous loss.

I relish the inspiration bequeathed to me by a companion star. Now, sadly, I can only envisage the swath across the sky, cut once by Jim’s accomplished deeds. In our hearts, he forever enlightens our constellation.

Chun Loong

We, the powder diffraction group members of J-PARC, are very shocked by an e-mail from IPNS. We are grieved to hear that Jim Richardson passed away in the morning of March 7th. Just before the shutdown of our KENS facility, you (Ray Teller) and Jim decided to welcome us to continue our user program at the IPNS facility. You and Jim hosted three young powder diffractionists, Ryoji Kiyanagi, Kazuhiro Mori and Masao Yonemura and helped them to establish as scientists. Jim has been a supervisor of Ryoji and most of the enjoyable life and fruitful scientific results of him were indeed attributed to Jim. Thanks to the research environment you and Jim gave to three young scientists, they will become leading neutron scientists with global view. We wish to express our gratitude for you and Jim. They learned a lot from not only Jim said, but also Jim established in the facility. Among so many thing Jim did in the field of powder diffraction, TK remembers with vivid impression on the simultaneous analysis of crystalline and non-crystalline form, and the R & D work on gas flow system and its application. We will always remember him with great affection. No word can express the deep sorrow we feel. Please accept our deepest condolence and we hope and pray that you will soon find comfort in this time of sorrow.

There are three characteristics which I specifically associate with Jim: competence, enthusiasm and modesty. Please accept my deepest condolences.

As are we all, I am deeply saddened by Jim Richarson’s passing. Jim had been so close to me for twenty some years, as Iowa Staters in Ames, as coworkers at Argonne, and as cross-town neighbors in Lemont, yet I was so far away at the last moments of his life. Our friendship began in the early years of IPNS. While we spent a great deal of time at work, contriving a propitious niche for IPNS, it was Jim who showed me that there were other wonders besides work. He loved sports, helped organize weekly volleyball (or wallyball?) games, seasonal golf practices, and yearly picnics, bringing friends together to enjoy a good time. Rosa and I went to our first and the only Bulls’ game (seeing Michael Jordan played) with Jim.

In 1998 I asked Jim to act for me as the IPNS Neutron Scattering Group Leader during my trip to Japan. Upon return three months later I found Jim had done such a marvelous job, with utmost enthusiasm and competence, far better than I could ever attain. No one could be more deserving than Jim being the leader of the Group. Since then history speaks for itself: the Group thrived and Jim eventually became the Deputy Division Director. Looking back, I am pleased with my volition and thankful to Jim’s acceding to the job.

Jim taught me neutron powder diffraction—doing experiments and analyzing data. Whenever seeking Jim’s advice, no questions would go unanswered and no answers coming from Jim were cursory speculation. Recalling Jim’s generous counseling, my mind mourns the forever missing of his comradeship. Knowing Jim as a loving husband and father, my heart goes out to his beloved family on the momentous loss.

Barb I was sorry to hear of your loss, Please accept my condolences. I'm working the late shift today. I've read this guestbook and I really wish I would have met James. He seems to have made a large imprint on many people.

I'm deeply saddened by Jim's passing. He was a creative force and a kind soul.

While talking to others at Argonne about Jim's passing, there was always one comment that was made by countless people that had the privelige of knowing Jim. "He was the nicest, most down to earth guy I ever met". That goes double for me, he was a special guy, and I will miss him a lot. Everybody out here is thinking of you Barbi.

I knew Jim Richardson as an innovative and creative materials scientist. I used his Intense Pulsed Neutron Source powder diffractometer, with help from Jim and others, in the 1980s and 1990s. It was always a pleasure to work with Jim, who gave so freely of his expertise and time. I am one of many scientists who will miss Jim's scientific expertise and enthusiasm for his life's work.

Although no words can really help to ease the loss you bear,just know that my thoughts and prayers are with you.

The following notice was sent to the neutron mailing list and distributed world-wide:

I’m very sorry to report to you that Jim Richardson passed away on March 7, 2008 in his home in Lemont, Illinois.



Jim received his BS degree from Purdue University in 1978 and was awarded a PhD in Chemistry from Iowa State University at Ames in 1984. He immediately joined IPNS at Argonne National Laboratory as a post doctoral appointee and began a long and highly successful career. He progressed from post doc to staff member, instrument scientist, and finally Deputy Division Director at IPNS in the intervening 23 years Jim’s career was focused on studying oxygen permeable ceramic membranes, symmetry lowering in molecular sieves and zeolites, simultaneous analysis of crystalline and non-crystalline scattering, and powder diffraction analysis such as peak deconvolution. Jim was that rare scientist who simultaneously maintained a top tier research program in diffraction analysis, while coordinating a robust user program that brought kudos to IPNS and Argonne. In his role as instrument scientist Jim also mentored innumerable post docs, students, and junior staff. In the past decade, recognition of Jim’s expertise and insights led to his appointment to numerous national review and advisory committees.



But Jim was even more than all that. To all of us at IPNS, Jim was a wonderful colleague and friend, and a truly honest and honorable gentleman. As many of you know, for the past six months Jim had been fighting a serious illness. Throughout this difficult time he maintained an upbeat manner and retained his sense of humor.



Although Jim’s passing was expected, this is truly a sad day for science, neutron scattering and his Argonne colleagues and friends. Most off all, we will miss his friendship and warmth. Our deepest sympathies go to his wife, Barbara, and his family.

I regret Jim's death with the deepest sympathy.

Both Kathy and I are deeply saddened by the news of Jim's passing. He was in our hearts and prayers from the time we have first heard the news of his medical condition. In Jim's earlier life at IPNS he was a regular member of our weekly volleyball games in Downers Grove. He and many of the visiting scientists frequent these games and it afforded Kathy and I the opportunity of getting to know these guests as individuals. Jim was the life of the party and always fun to be around. Each new player would be invited to our home after the game and the prerequisite was to bring out a world map and have them tell us where they were from and something about their family life. Jim was one of the earliest participant and we enjoyed hearing about his life as a youngster.

Jim was a great asset to IPNS and for me, as our first supervisor, I got to know the personalities of each of the scientists and their users. Jim was one of the truly great co-worker and I cannot think of one time that he had lost his cool, even under stress of a failed experiment.

Jim was an unparalleled co-worker whose attitudes were always optimistic and progressive. To me he was a confidant, guide and, though he was my superior, he always acted as an equal and never spoke down to me or told me what to do. He always gave careful consideration to every issue as was always willing to hear new ideas even if those ideas were being presented as “long shot theories” (many of mine were). I knew him to share credit and accept responsibility beyond the call of duty. In the scientific community Jim had many roles including researcher, collaborator, supervisor and leader but his most outstanding role, and for which I will most remember him, is as a friend.

My thoughts and prayers are with the family. James was "one of a kind"- A wonderful guy to know.