Biography:

Dr. Thomas ‘Gordon’ Douglas Richardson was born in Port Dover, Ontario on the 24th of September, 1907.  Dr. Richardson was the eldest of 2 children born to the Rev. Joseph Richardson and the former Edith Gordon.  His father was a Methodist minister and Dr. Richardson had a brother named Joseph “Howard” Reynolds Richardson who was born in Perth, Ontario on the 31st of July, 1910.  According to the 1921 census, the Richardson family resided on Queen Street in Petrolia, (Lambton County) Ontario.

Dr. Richardson studied biological and medical sciences at Victoria College and graduated in 1931.  Upon his graduation, he was accepted into The University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine.  Dr. Richardson graduated M.D. in 1934 and interned at the Ottawa Civic Hospital where he was the house surgeon.  After he completed his internship, he went to Wallaceburg, where he assisted his uncle, Dr. Stanley Alexander McDonald Richardson, in his medical practice.

Dr. Richardson married Mary Grace ‘Maisie’ MacLean in Beachburg, Ontario in April of 1936 .  Mrs. Richardson was the youngest of 7 children that included 2 sets of fraternal twins.  She and her twin brother James Walter Macdonald MacLean were born on the 31st of August, 1910 in the Village of Beachburg (Westmeath Township), Ontario.  Her parents were Alexander McNevin MacLean the the former Julia Jane MacDonald. Her father was an insurance agent and her siblings were; Margaret Isabel MacLean, Donald Alexander MacLean, Laura Mildred MacLean, the other set of twins Julia “Jean” MacLean and John Allister MacLean, and her twin brother James.  Mrs. Richardson was a registered nurse who graduated from the Ottawa Civic Hospital School of Nursing.

Dr. and Mrs. Richardson had a son who was born in Orillia, Ontario on the 22nd of October, 1942, but he died the following day.  Their daughter Mary Susan Richardson was born in Bracebridge, Ontario on the 13th of December, 1943.

Dr. and Mrs. Richardson were residing in Parry Sound, Ontario in the 1950’s and Dr. Richardson worked at the sanitarium.

Dr. Richardson died on the 25th of March, 1960.  Mrs. Richardson died on the 8th of March, 1974.  Dr. and Mrs. Richardson were buried at the Springcreek Cemetery in Mississauga, Ontario.

Their daughter Mary became a registered nurse.  She died in Toronto on the 16th of August, 1979.

*Dr. Richardson’s uncle, Dr. Stanley Alexander McDonald Richardson also appears on the Chatham-Kent Physician Tribute website.

**Mrs. Richardson’s twin brother Major James Walter Macdonald Maclean served with the United States Armed Services during WWII.

***The webmaster gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Ron Cabot, Bill Christenson and Lesley Buchanan, Cemetery Manager, St Thomas Cemetery Company.