Remembering Bread New Mexico Advocate Laura Richard

Paul and Laura Richard at Bread picnic in Bataan Park in Albuquerque

Paul and Laura Richard were among the first Bread for the World advocates I met when we moved to New Mexico in 1992.  Not only were they regulars at the monthly meetings we had back in the 1990s, but also participated in special activities, such as the Bread for the World picnic at Bataan Park.  (The above picture was taken at the picnic).

Laura and Paul were also very dedicated to the fight against hunger and poverty at the state level, as evidenced by their strong involvement with New Mexico Lutheran Office for Governmental Ministry, (LOGM), which is now the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry, (LAM).

The Richards  used their joint involvement in Bread and LOGM to help us plan a great joint conference in 1994, which featured Bread President David Beckmann and Father Richard Rohr of the Center for Action and Contemplation.  Laura and Paul conceived of the title for the conference (Feeding the Future) and helped design the brochure.  Our planning team consisted of then LOGM director Nima Ward, LOGM volunteer Steve Werner,  and Paul and Laura. 

After a few years, Paul and Laura left our community for Colorado and lived there many years before returning to Taos, in northern New Mexico.   

As Thanksgiving approaches, I would like to offer thanks for having known  Laura.   It was with great sadness that I recently learned about Laura's death in April of this year from injuries sustained in a motorcyle accident up in Taos.  Here is an obituary from The Canyon Courier

Paul still lives in Taos.  Let me know if you would like to drop him a note, and I'll send you his e-mail address.