'The end of an era' with Tom Richards' passing

Tom Richards leaves legacy of generosity, caring for community

Tom Richards passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends on March 22, 2025, in Palm Springs, Calif. He was 88. The Coeur d’Alene High School graduate built a name for himself by building up his hometown and those around him, said his son. Tom and his identical twin brother John were born on March 17, 1937, in Spokane, to John Smith and Ruth (Triplett) Richards. Raised in Hayden Lake, Tom Richards graduated from Stanford University with a degree in economics and earned his master’s in business Administration from Harvard.