Frank Lester Richardson

Frank Lester Richardson, age 91, of Anchorage, Alaska and formerly of Nome, Alaska, and Castine, Maine passed away peacefully in his sleep on November 16, 2025 in Providence Forest View Assisted Living in Anchorage.
Frank was born September 21, 1934 in the small coastal town of Castine, Maine to Frank and Lucy Richardson and grew up learning his lifelong passion of music, learning to mechanic on old cars and small engines, and enjoying/exploring life in the many coves and the seacoast near Castine.  
Frank maintained lifelong good friends from Castine who were very dear to him.  He graduated from Castine High School in 1952 and often would proudly say (with a little smirk) that he graduated fourth in his class.  He would wait for the reply “Wow Frank, that’s great” before he would let out his iconic large laugh and say “there were only four students in my class!”  His good humor and laugh were contagious throughout his life.
Frank lived a full life and was very gifted in many areas, which he was always willing to share with others.  
Upon graduating high school, Frank joined the Merchant Marines and sailed to ports around the world delivering what he called “dangerous cargo.” In 1954, Frank, at 20-years-old, joined the U.S. Air Force.  He initially served at Scott Airforce Base in Illinois where he volunteered his time-off on weekends to play piano for the soldiers in the hospital.   His volunteer service did not go unnoticed, as Air Force Commander Mann wrote an official letter to Frank’s commanding officer not to schedule Frank on any weekend duty, so that he could play music for the soldiers, as it was very uplifting to them.
While in the Air Force, Frank was sent to be stationed in Nome, Alaska in 1955 as a Radio Relay Repairman and lived in the barracks up on Anvil Mountain, where he served until 1958.  
He then joined the Air Force Reserve and served until 1962. During this time, Frank also worked for the military radio station.  The radio station had a unique location as it was located in the basement of the former Bering Sea Saloon.  During his years in Nome, Frank would entertain the town playing piano and organ initially in the bars of Nome, then at the Fort Davis Roadhouse while people enjoyed the fine dining, and also at many weddings, funerals and other community events.
After being honorably discharged from the Air Force, Frank had found his home and remained in Nome, where he worked various jobs until going to work for the State of Alaska DOT, where he worked initially as a mechanic, then as the Fleet Mechanic Supervisor for 27 years before his retirement in 1992. Frank travelled extensively throughout Western Alaska working for the DOT, where he met many life-long friends that he worked with. He had many stories to tell about those years while flying around in small bush planes.
Frank served on the Nome Volunteer Fire Department for 30 years, being honored for his service at the Nome Volunteer Fire Dept’s 75th Anniversary for his years of service and his assistance in restoring the ol’ 1937 Chevrolet Fire Engine. 
Frank also served on the Maynard-McDougal Memorial Methodist Hospital Board and the Nome Joint Utility Board, as well as many other volunteer committees and activities in Nome.
During his early years in Nome, Frank found the first love of his life and married Lucie “Bipsy” Fagerstrom and was very proud to raise their son, Charlie, with all the joys of living in rural Alaska.  They spent much of their time in the country - camping, picking berries, picnicking, exploring old mining camps and visiting friends and relatives. He loved nurturing and teaching life lessons to Charlie and spent many hours on the outdoor and gym basketball courts.With his marriage to Bipsy, he joined a large extended family who he was very close with throughout his life. Frank and Bipsy were married for over 33 years before Bipsy’s passing in 1991. 
After retiring from the AK DOT, Frank decided to move to Anchorage, where his life was about to take a new turn that he did not know that God was planning for him. It was in Anchorage that Frank found the second love of his life and married Dolores (Norland) Johnson in 1994.  Dolores was a longtime friend of Frank’s from the early sixties and they had always enjoyed hours of playing piano and organ together throughout their lives.
Frank and Dolores were married for almost 25 years before Dolores’ passing in 2019. They spent many enjoyable times touring around in their 1975 Motor Home, which Frank had always kept in tip-top shape for the road. During his “retirement” in Anchorage, Frank was always busy – volunteering, assisting Dolores in a piano teaching studio where they taught dozens of children to play the piano, building an airplane, flying airplanes, working on cars, playing music, and being a great friend, father, grandfather, great grandfather and uncle to all of us who loved him.
Frank was a great, yet humble man with a kind heart and a hearty unforgettable laugh and was willing to give anyone the shirt off his back.  Also known as “Frankie” back in Maine, “Rich” and “Uncle Rich” up in Alaska, he was loved by so many and his example of kindness that he shared with many people throughout his life will stay with all of us forever.
Frank is proceeded in death by his first wife Lucie Richardson, his second wife Dolores Richardson, his son Charlie Richardson, his father Frank W. Richardson, and mother Lucy (Gray) Richardson, and his sister Mary Richardson.  
He will be dearly missed by his stepsons Mark (Trinh) Johnson of Nome, AK and Michael (Cathy) Johnson of Peyton, CO, six grandchildren, and two great grandchildren, his brother-in-law Raymond (Sharon) Norland, brother-in-law Chuck (Peggy) Fagerstrom, brother-in-law Wendall Wassmann, sister-in-law Pauline Fagerstrom and many nephews and nieces who he cherished.