Carol K. Richards
Carol Anna
Kittrell Richards died on September 22nd, 2021 after a short illness.
Carol Ann was born on March 5, 1935, the sixth of eight children to Lyman and Margie Kittrell, tobacco farmers in Broadway, North Carolina, and graduated from Broadway High School in 1952. In high school, she was known to be friends with everyone. She played basketball (at only 5’2 “), piano, and memorized poetry for public recitation, which gave her a lifelong love for the written word. She attended Flora MacDonald College, then met and married David L. Richards in 1954 (1933 – 2018), with whom she raised five children and was married for 26 years. While raising her family she worked full-time, mainly as an office clerk and medical assistant for family doctors. Establishing the national certification program for medical assistants and self-certified general and pediatric care. Following their divorce, Carol embarked on a new career moving into the health insurance sector, where she was promoted to Vice President of Contract Management for Travel Insurance before joining Presbyterian Health Care and moving to Albuquerque in 1998.
Carol has been a dedicated team leader and mentor to those who have worked with her and has taken pride in starting the careers of many young people. She reveled in her success. She was known as a direct speaker who went above and beyond to serve her clients, which included Federal Express’s national office. She served on the board of the Sexual Abuse Nurse Examiners (SANE) for six years, including four years as treasurer.
After her retirement, she became a volunteer at the Rio Grande Nature Center (RGNC). She loved being stationed at the reception where she could talk to people from all over the world. Carol was a person who got on an elevator with 7 strangers and got off with 7 friends. She loved sharing information about her adopted home New Mexico, especially the birds. She directed the centre’s monthly moonlight walks for many years. In 2014 she received the RGNC President’s Award and in 2018 the RGNC Volunteer of the Year.
Carol leaves behind Sister Helen Kittrell from Alameda, CA, brother Scott Kittrell and Mrs. Terri from Sanford, NC, daughter Leslee Richards and husband Frank Fine from Albuquerque, daughter Ellen Foster and husband Rick, sons Larry Richards and Scott Richards from Richmond, VA, granddaughter Amber Kramer and husband Aaron from San Diego, granddaughters Taylor, Kelly, Jaclyn and Jordyn and grandson Christopher from Virginia and many great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. She is preceded by her daughter Cristi Ann (Richards) Elwell in death.
She will miss very much everyone who knew her. Instead of flowers, the family encourages donations to the Rio Grande Nature Center or SANE. A celebration of life takes place in a. instead of
future date.
Published by on September 26, 2021.
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