Berta M. Richards' Obituary
Berta Marie Richards, longtime teacher, hiker, and lover of the great outdoors, passed away April 16, 2024, in Milwaukie, OR. She was a little more than a month shy of her 96th birthday.
Berta was born May 27, 1928, in Charleston, WV, to Marie and Dwight F. Pullen. Her family moved to Ohio and eventually, to Flagstaff, AZ.
Berta was not happy about leaving the rolling hills of Ohio for the dry land of Arizona and told her new classmates that she preferred the Midwest. That changed.
“I realized I had become a lover of the West. I don’t mean one who drives to Grand Canyon once and just looks through the telescope,” she wrote in college. “I do mean the one who goes back many times to Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, San Francisco Peaks and deserts around Phoenix, who hikes and learns to love the simplicity, beauty, spaciousness and peace of the West.”
Berta grew up on hiking trails, including the trail to the bottom of Grand Canyon, and was a hiker most of her life. The family also spent summers camping in Oak Creek Canyon and exploring Arizona’s geological and cultural diversity.
She continued her love of the outdoors at Flagstaff High School, where she was a member of the hiking and science clubs. She graduated as salutatorian and was active in student government, sports, choir, and the National Honor Society.
She attended what is now Northern Arizona University, where she met Charles "Chuck" Richards, a fellow student and Navy veteran. They got to know each other in the college’s hiking club and choir, and in a church fellowship group. In 1948, both transferred to what is now Western Michigan University, where they earned their degrees. They married on Aug. 10, 1949, and later moved to California, where Gwenda and Charles were born, and to Eugene, OR, where Camille was born.
Berta was an elementary school teacher in California and Oregon, including at Jennings Lodge Elementary School and McLoughlin Elementary School in Oregon City. She enjoyed staying in touch with her fellow teachers and students after she retired.
Berta was an avid recycler long before recycling was cool or easy. She loved exploring — she seemed to think “Do Not Enter” signs didn’t apply to her, maybe one of the reasons her father-in-law affectionately called her "Wild Rose." She also was a committed gardener, composter, and volunteer.
Berta took her civic responsibilities seriously. She researched every election, attending candidates’ forums, monitoring endorsements and compiling files of background information that she offered to share with her family.
She held true to her core values and instilled them in her children. When one came home from school questioning why she couldn’t be a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution like her classmates, Berta said, “You can. But I quit because of Marian Anderson," the world-famous vocalist who was not allowed to perform in DAR's Constitution Hall in 1939 because she was African American.
Berta’s happiest times were spent with family and friends. Her favorite day of the week was whichever day her family gathered for a meal. She liked to organize “breakfast in the Gorge” gatherings at a Columbia River park for family and friends. She – with Chuck's help – cooked breakfast over a fire, a practice they started as young parents in California. She also threw herself into activities at Oak Grove United Methodist Church, where she formed valued friendships during her more than 56 years as a member. Among her many roles and activities there, she was a Stephen Minister, trained to provide one-on-one support and care to those encountering challenges. And of course, she was a member of the church hiking group.
After she retired, she returned to the classroom as a reading tutor for students in her grandsons’ school. She was in two book clubs, continued to hike and volunteer at church, and with Chuck, attended the Portland Symphony, traveling Broadway plays and local theater productions.
Throughout their marriage, Berta and Chuck loved to travel. In 1958 they traveled to Cuba. In the 1960s, they took their young family on cross-country camping trips to visit relatives. In the 1980s, they traveled to Guam and later made several trips to Hawaii to visit family. After they retired, they bought a 30-foot Airstream travel trailer and took long trips around the country and in Canada, often with another couple who shared their spirit of adventure and love of hiking. Their travels kept them connected to extended family around the country, especially in Michigan, Arizona, and Colorado, as well as longtime friends.
After Chuck passed way, Berta moved in 2011 to Rose Villa Senior Living Community, where she lived the rest of her life. Her family is incredibly grateful to Rose Villa’s staff for their compassionate and loving care of Berta during her nearly 13 years there.
Berta is survived by her children and their partners, Gwenda and David Richards Oshiro; Charles Richards and Phyllis Chun; and Camille Richards and Charlie Sanford; and grandson Brent Richards. She was preceded in death by husband Chuck; grandson Chris Richards; brother Charles Pullen; and sister Virginia Bell.
A private memorial is planned. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to NAMI-Clackamas County, Alzheimer’s Association, or a charity of your choice.
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