William Donald "Bill" Richardson, M.D., 82, of Troy, Ill., born Jan. 22, 1932, in St. Louis, Mo., died Monday, July 21, 2014, at his home.

Dr. Bill graduated from Dupo High School in 1950, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Ill., in 1954 and from the University of Illinois Medical School, Chicago, Ill., in 1958.

Dr. Bill was a member of Bethel Baptist Church, Troy Ill., since 1974 He served as music director, deacon, Sunday school teacher, AWANA listener, church photographer and on many different committees.

Following residency at St. Louis City Hospital, St. Louis, Mo., and one year of Seminary at Mid Western Baptist Seminary in Kansas City, Mo., he was appointed as a medical missionary in 1962 by the Southern Baptist International Mission Board to the Baptist Hospital in Nalerigu, Ghana, West Africa. He served there for 12 years. Since then he made multiple medical mission trips to Venezuela, Cuba, Romania, Bulgaria and Paraguay. He was a past president of the Baptist Medical Dental Fellowship and participated in many of their medical mission trips.

Upon his return to the states in 1974 his academic appointments included Instructor in Medicine, St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Mo. – September 1974 – June 1977; assistant professor, internal medicine, St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Mo. –July 1977 –June 30, 1997 and assistant professor, emeritus, of internal medicine, St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Mo.-July 1997-2012.
His board certifications include Diplomate American Board of Internal Medicine, 1976; Diplomate in Pulmonary Disease, 1980 and Fellow in the American College of Chest Physicians, 1981.

His private practice was the Roy Johnson Medical clinic, Ferguson, Mo. 1982-1995.

He retired in 2012 as medical director of the St. Louis Behavioral Medicine Institute, Pain management Program, Dept. of Community and Family Medicine, St. Louis University Health Sciences Center – July 1995-2012.

He will be fondly remembered for his great sense of humor, his commitment to his family, his friends, his church and his medical practice. He reflected Christ in all areas of his life.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Rev. William Joseph Richardson and Helen Becherer Richardson; and his brother, Rev. David T. Richardson.

Surviving are his wife of nearly 61 years, Irma Jane Gowan Richardson, whom he married on Aug. 29, 1953, in the Lansdowne Baptist Church, East St. Louis, Ill.; his children, daughters, Sharon (Charlie)Walker, Marilyn (Herb) Jackson, his son, Donald (Annette) Richardson; his grandchildren, Philip Walker, Laura Walker, Melanie Richardson, William (Suzanne) Richardson, Benjamin Jackson and Amy Jackson (Christian) Perez; great-grandchildren, Ellie Perez, Maylie Perez and William Perez; and his brothers, Jim (Wanda) Richardson of Peoria, Ill. and Fred (Linda) Richardson of Jacksonville, Fl.

Memorials may be made to Bethel Baptist Church, Troy, Ill. Online expressions of sympathy may be made at www.laughlinfh.com

Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday July 25, 2014, and 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, July 26, 2014, at Bethel Baptist Church, Troy, Ill.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 26, 2014, at the church with the Rev. Tim Lewis officiating. Interment in the Lake View Memorial Gardens, Fairview Heights, Ill.

RICHESON FUNERAL HOME, Troy, Ill.