A Life Well Lived

If Marell Richardson was still living, she probably would have been disappointed that her favorite football team, the New Orleans Saints, didn't make it to the Super Bowl. Still, she would be among friends that she and her husband, Lyman, invited to one of their famous Super Bowl parties. A love for football and the Saints led them to purchase season tickets for decades. Along with a passion for football, Marell and Lyman enjoyed entertaining friends for any occasion. They brought happiness to many throughout their life. Now they are bringing joy to Pet Partners through a bequest that was recently received.

Marell served as a nurse in Italy during WWII, where she met Lyman who was a surgeon serving in Italy during the war. They married and lived in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Given that both Marell and Lyman were in the health care profession, it is no wonder they were passionate about improving the lives of others, both people and animals.

Not one to sit idle, Marell made many life-long friends through participating in Mardi Gras, marching in Christmas Parades and attending "wine nights" in her retirement community. Rumor has it that one of their homes had a faucet that dispensed beer. Naturally, their welcoming home and good nature encouraged visits by nieces, nephews, and friends.

Being such open-hearted souls, Marell and Lyman had a passion for animals. They owned a range of dogs from the smallest of Yorkies to a large Great Dane. Not only dog lovers, they also provided a good home to cats and even a parrot named Tonic. Tonic was able to mimic Marell's laugh. With her love for life, one can imagine there was much laughter in their home between Marell and Tonic.

Although Marell outlived Lyman by 28 years, her love of animals continued throughout her life and led her to include Pet Partners in her estate plan. A long-time supporter of Pet Partners, Marell understood the human-animal bond connection and ultimately decided to leave a legacy to Pet Partners through a bequest.

Pet Partners is grateful for the thoughtfulness of Marell's gift. Through her generosity during her lifetime and after, visits by therapy animal teams to those in need will continue to thrive. We honor Marell who had a zest for life and left a philanthropic legacy to Pet Partners.