A great friend to Fair Haven History
In his youth, Don Richardson spent his summers at his family’s cottage on Little Sodus Bay. Before he as born, his parents Raymond and Dora Sours Richardson, had served as Principal and Preceptress of Fair Haven High School for two years (1919-1921). After moving to Perry, New York where Don grew up, the family returned to Fair Haven during the summer months. Their cottage was next door to that of Raymond T. Sant, whose love of history and story telling made an impression on Don.
Don H. Richardson was born in Rochester, New York, March 12, 1929. He graduated magna cum laude with a degree in History from Hobart College in 1951. He followed in his father’s footsteps with a career in education. Through Ray Sant’s mentoring and recommendation, he secured his first teaching job. He went on to earn a Masters Degree from Syracuse University and his Ph.D. from Columbia University. For more then 30 years he served as principal of Valhalla High School in Westchester County, New York.
Among the many organizations he worked to support, Don served two years as president of the Westchester Ethical Humanist Society. Upon retiring to Fair Haven he served 13 years as president of the Sterling Historical Society. He was often apt to say, “What good is history if it isn’t being shared with people?” As president, his focus was on creative ways to introduce people to the rich history of Fair Haven and Sterling. During his tenure, he greatly increased membership and implemented many programs, including senior bus tours, an annual history themed calendar, the Golden Age of Rail video recounting the era of railroads in the area, the Elizabeth E. Boat Tour on Litttle Sodus Bay, the establishment of a publishing fund to support local authors, and much more.
Many people recall his weekly Tales of Sterling column that appeared for many years in the Post-Herald and Lakeshore News. In 2011 he published a book, Best of the Tales of Sterling, a collection of his columns.
Don’s demeanor was literally that of a true “gentleman and a scholar.” Lunch with him was always an enthusiastic discussion of history, new projects and encouraging ideas for sharing Fair Haven’s history with others. A naturalist at heart, Don pioneered a popular self-guided historical nature tour in an electric powered boat on Sterling Creek. He named it the “Muskrat Ramble” and it was administered by Fair Haven Beach State Park. A long time energy conservationist, Don’s home in Fair Haven was equipped with a geothermal heat pump to avoid burning polluting fossil fuels.
Don passed away peacefully in Oswego on December 11, 2018 at the age of 89. His enthusiasm and love of history and Fair Haven has left an indelible impact on how history will be told here forevermore.