Mary Lou Richardson; Former Culver City Official

Mary Lou Richardson, a Culver City councilwoman and mayor in the late 1950s, has died at her home in Laguna Hills. She was 71.

Mrs. Richardson, who suffered from lung cancer and emphysema, died Monday of respiratory failure.

She was the wife of Ralph Richardson, a longtime board member of the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles Community College District.

Mrs. Richardson served on the Culver City Council from 1956 to 1960 and was mayor in 1958-59. She was a math specialist with the Culver City school system from 1965 until her retirement in 1978.

Born Dec. 29, 1917, in Council Grove, Kan., Mrs. Richardson came to Los Angeles in 1948 when her husband joined the UCLA faculty as a speech instructor. She was elected to the Culver City Council in 1956, a year before her husband began the first of his three terms on the Los Angeles school board. He later served on the community college board from 1973 to 1981.

Mrs. Richardson is survived by her husband; children Riley Richardson of Houston, Randy Richardson of Tucson, Roxanne Richardson Landis of Seattle and Eric Richardson of Aptos, Calif.; two brothers, Walter Porter of Topeka, Kan., and Dr. Gene Porter of Fergus Falls, Minn.; and six grandchildren.

Burial will be Saturday in Council Grove.