EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Rosario “Rose” Richardson, the wife of legendary basketball coach Nolan Richardson, died earlier this week, according to an obit on DignityMemorial.com and numerous media sources in Arkansas.
Native El Pasoan Rose Richardson was 84 and died on Sunday, Oct. 13 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, “surrounded by family and friends on the ranch she loved so much,” according to the obit.
Nolan and Rose Richardson met in high school in El Paso and later reconnected. They had one daughter together, Yvonne, who died at age 15 of leukemia in 1987, according to WholeHogSports.com, which covers University of Arkansas sports.
Rose and Nolan Richardson were married for more than 50 years.
Nolan Richardson, also an El Paso native, coached the University of Arkansas from 1985 to 2002, leading the Razorbacks to three NCAA Final Fours and one national championship. He is a member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Hall of Fame.
According to WholeHogSports.com, Rose Richardson was considered the “second mom” to many Razorback players and coaches over the years.
“Rose’s life was a testament to the power of family and unconditional love,” her obituary said. “She was Rosario to some, Rose to many, and Chayo to everyone else. As a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, she touched countless lives with her warmth and compassion. Her husband, Nolan Richardson, fondly remembers her as the ultimate team player and finisher, a woman whose support knew no bounds. Rose’s strength was perhaps most evident in how she faced life’s greatest challenges, finding solace and healing in her love for animals after the heartbreaking loss of her daughter Yvonne to leukemia.”
A visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22 at St. Raphael Catholic Church, 2301 Zanzibar Rd., in El Paso. A rosary will be held at 7 p.m., according to her obituary.
A Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23, also at St. Raphael Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Evergreen Cemetery, 4301 Alameda Ave.
Family requests that instead of flowers, memorial contributions be made to the Yvonne Richardson Memorial Foundation.
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