Darlene Elizabeth Richardson

Darlene Elizabeth Richardson, 77, of Lonsdale, Minnesota, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, January 17, 2026.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at Most Holy Trinity Church in Veseli, Minnesota, with visitation beginning at 9:30 a.m. Burial will follow at St. Michael Catholic Cemetery in Prior Lake, Minnesota. Father John Lapensky will preside.

Darlene was born on October 26, 1948, in Shakopee, Minnesota, as the second of five children to Norbert and Lorraine (Klehr) Borka. She attended Good Counsel for three years while considering becoming a nun. She chose to complete her senior year at Prior Lake High School, where she met the love of her life, John. In August of 1966, John Warren Richardson proposed just before being drafted to the United Stated Army. After John spent one year at training camp at Fort Hood, TX, she and John exchanged vows on August 26, 1967, at St. Michael Catholic Church in Prior Lake, Minnesota, just five days before he was sent to Northern Vietnam. A year after they married, Darlene and their 3-month-old daughter, Dawn gladly welcomed John home from war. The Richardson family grew with three sons, John III, James, and Jeffrey and finally settled down in Prior Lake in 1973. In 1975, while returning from Elko Raceway, John and Darlene were involved in a head-on car crash. She was thrown headfirst through the windshield, and her knees struck the dashboard. From that accident, Darlene suffered headaches throughout her life, thought she never let it affect her quality of life.

She worked as a waitress at the Radisson for 10 years and later retired from Goodrich Corporation in 2010 after more than 15 years. Darlene treasured the time spent camping with the family in their motor home, especially to Dawson’s Lakeside Campground in Fairmount; she enjoyed a good game of Bingo, sewing and baking. She even competed against John in a couple sporting clays leagues at the MN Horse and Hunt Club.

On Mother’s Day weekend in 2015, John gave her their pride and joy - the custom painted Jack Rousch Ford Mustang convertible. Together, they enjoyed late summer night rides in search of ice cream.

Darlene is survived by her children, Dawn (Kurt) Sadler, John (Jen) Richardson III, James (Tina) Richardson, and JeffreyRichardson; her grandchildren, Jenna Sadler, Reagan Sadler, Alecia Hammer, Amanda Richardson, Alissa Richardson, Autumn Richardson, and Hunter Richardson; her great-grandchildren, Breanna and Kylie; her siblings, Karen Seifert, Duane Borka, and Mary Kay Wagner; her sisters-in-law, Judy Staven and Mary Ellen Bridgeman; and many other relatives and friends.

Welcoming her into eternal peace were her husband, John on March 28, 2020; her parents, Norbert and Lorraine Borka; her brother, Larry Borka; her brother-in-law, Jim Seifert; her nephew, Josh Wagner; her parents-in-law, John and Lucille Richardson; and her brothers-in-law, Michael Richardson and Carl Bridgeman.