Service to be held in memory of former long-standing member of Boston Standard team and familiar face at Blackfriars Arts Centre

A former long-standing member of the Boston Standard team and a familiar face at Blackfriars Arts Centre is to be remembered at a service in the town, following her death last month, aged 86.

Marian Richardson was born in Boston on New Year’s Day, 1940.

Marian Richardson at her desk at the Boston Standard, where she worked for 18 years.

placeholder image — Marian Richardson at her desk at the Boston Standard, where she worked for 18 years.

Following education at Staniland Primary School and Boston High School, she started working as a typist/secretary at various offices in Boston. After becoming a mother, she mainly worked evenings, selling Tupperware and then Pippa Dee/Dee Minor clothing.

In 1984, she joined the Boston Standard as a part-time administration assistant, and, from there, would go on to selling advertising space on the property pages to local estate agents. She retired in 2002, after 18 years’ service.

Marian (front, centre), as a member of the Boston Operatic Society.

On her retirement, The Standard carried a piece paying tribute to its ‘Maid Marian’, in which colleagues hailed her as ‘simply the best’.

Away from work, she attended the Zion Methodist Church for a number of years, was a keen tennis and badminton player, and enjoyed gardening (winning prizes in local competitions) and travel.

She was also a member of the Boston Operatic Society, singing in the chorus for many shows at Blackfriars Arts Centre from the 1980s through to the early 2000s.

After leaving the society and retiring from work, she still enjoyed being a part of the team at the venue and became a steward. This she did for as long as she could, her family said, explaining that while her health was a factor in this coming to an end, the closure of the venue due to Covid-19 ultimately decided the matter.

More photos of Marian shared with the Standard by her family, including a picture of her with her former co-workers at the paper and the 'fond farewell' it bid her in 2002.

She was mother to three children and grandmother to six. She married Peter Richardson in 1960, but separated from him in 1996. She was then partner to David Ashton for more than 20 years. He currently resides in White Gables Care Home.

In 2017, Marian was sadly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and dementia, and would go on to experience a gradual decline in her health, her family said. She eventually moved into The Gardens Care Home, in Boston, at the end of 2023. She passed away peacefully on August 11, the family added.

Marian’s funeral is due to be held at Zion Methodist Church, in Brothertoft Road, Boston, on Wednesday, September 16, at 12.30pm, followed by cremation at Boston Crematorium.

A wake will be held afterwards at Blackfriars Theatre and Arts Centre, in Spain Lane.

The family say anyone wishing to pay their respects to Marian are welcome to attend either or both. Black is not required or expected, they say, encouraging attendees to be comfortable and feel free to wear colour.

They ask anyone planning to attend the wake to email [email protected] to help with catering preparations.

The family are also raising money for the Alzheimer’s Society in Marian’s name. Donations can be made at https://marian-richardson.muchloved.com