[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 126 (Wednesday, July 23, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E718-E719]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF LYNNE JOLLY RICHARDSON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DARIN LaHOOD

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 23, 2025

  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of 
Lynne Jolly Richardson--a devoted public servant, loving wife and 
mother, and proud daughter of South Carolina--who passed away a year 
ago, on August 1, 2024.
  Lynne Richardson was a woman of great intellect, integrity, and 
compassion. Born on August 19, 1955, in Anderson, South Carolina, she 
was raised in the close-knit community of Pendleton. A proud graduate 
of both Pendleton High School, where she served as Salutatorian, and 
Clemson University, where she earned her undergraduate degree in 
Political Science, Lynne was later awarded a Master of Business 
Administration in Finance from The George Washington University.
  Lynne dedicated much of her professional life to public service, 
including a distinguished twenty-year career in the United States House 
of Representatives. She began and ended her tenure in this Chamber in 
the Office of our late

[[Page E719]]

colleague, Congressman Butler Derrick of South Carolina. Over the 
years, she held a variety of roles in Congressman Derrick's office, 
ultimately rising to become his final Chief of Staff. In all her roles, 
she earned the respect and admiration of colleagues on both sides of 
the aisle for her steady leadership, policy expertise, and deep 
commitment to the American people.
  She also spent several years on the staff of the Committee on the 
Budget where she served as Director of Task Forces and Associate staff. 
It was during this time that Lynne met her husband, Kevin Richardson, 
who was then serving on the staff of the Committee on the Judiciary. 
Their story began when they met in H-127 of the U.S. Capitol during a 
House-Senate Conference Committee meeting on the 1986 Consolidated 
Budget Reconciliation Act. It ultimately grew into a 36-year marriage 
defined by joy, partnership, and unwavering support. Together, they 
built a loving home, eventually settling in Lake Barrington, Illinois, 
in 1997. Lynne continued her service to the community through her long-
standing role as Finance Director at Barrington United Methodist 
Church, where she was also an active congregant and faithful servant.
  Lynne's greatest pride was her family. Her beloved daughters, Mary 
Ellen Richardson and Charlotte Richardson, carry forward her legacy of 
excellence, compassion, and service as both have established 
distinguished careers of their own in Washington, D.C.
  Lynne was many things to many people--a mother, a sister, a mentor, a 
neighbor, a friend. She was an avid gardener, a beach enthusiast, a 
reader, a traveler, and a loyal Clemson Tiger. She was equally at home 
discussing federal budget policy as she was assembling a family jigsaw 
puzzle or tending to her roses. Throughout her life, she remained 
grounded in her faith, her family, and her belief in the power of 
community.
  Lynne Jolly Richardson's life was a testament to service, intellect, 
grace, and love. She enriched every community she was part of--from the 
foothills of South Carolina to the halls of Congress to the 
neighborhoods of Lake Barrington. Today we honor her legacy that will 
be long remembered by all who had the privilege of knowing her.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Lynne's memory and 
offering our deepest condolences to the Richardson and Jolly families. 
May her memory be a blessing, and may her life continue to inspire 
those of us who follow in her footsteps.

                          ____________________