BUXTON- Alberta Ann (Carll) Richards, 93, passed away on July 26, 2026, at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine.
She was born at home in Buxton, Maine, on September 6, 1932, the daughter of the late Guy and Grace (Pinkham) Carll.
As a child she attended a one room schoolhouse located on the Simpson Road in Buxton. She would walk to school and was often responsible for arriving early to start the wood stove and bring in water. Alberta later attended the S.D. Hanson High School and graduated in 1951. She was the captain of the girl's high school basketball team and won the championship her senior year.
She met her husband Earl U.B. Richards, Jr. during high school and they were married on September 28, 1951. Together they raised 4 sons, Mark, Peter, Paul and John. They were married for 65 years before Earl passed away in 2017. He was the love of her life. She called him her 'good ole boy' and after he passed away, she named her cane “Earl.” “Earl” went wherever she went, and she often remarked on all the ways “Earl” was able to help her.
Alberta was loving, giving, family-focused, and adventurous—she loved to have fun with her family and friends and loved making memories. Over the years, Alberta enjoyed camping, golfing (getting a hole in one), dancing, snowmobiling, motorcycling, birdwatching, and gardening. She and Earl traveled across Canada to Alaska and traveled through 49 of the 50 states on their motorcycle pulling a small camper behind. She reminisced about their trip to Alaska for many years. She was involved with the Sokokis Snowmobiling Club, the Saco River Grange, Tory Hill Congregational Church, the Red Hat Society, the Maine Golden Eagles Motorcycle Club and the Maine Retreads XL Plus Motorcycle Club.
Alberta loved planting flowers, and if someone gave her a flower, she often named it after that person, like her plant “Aunt Agnes.” She was proud of her huge rhododendron bush and would marvel at the blooms each year. Growing glads with her sister Helen was a favorite summertime activity and decorating Christmas baskets while her sister made wreaths was a favorite winter one. She also loved feeding and watching the birds, playing cards and dominoes with family and friends, and watching The Weakest Link.
Family meant everything to Alberta. She was very happy and thankful to have so many of her family members living close by. She checked her calendar frequently and made sure to send her family birthday, anniversary, and Christmas cards. On Thanksgiving and Christmas, her house was the early morning meeting place for the family tradition of eating homemade chicken pie for breakfast. She loved her family, loved them more, and loved them to the moon and back.
Alberta was predeceased by her husband, Earl, her son John Richards, her grandson Cory Richards, and her sisters Helen Betts and Sabra Saindon.
She is survived by her sons, Mark (Edith) Richards, Peter (Diane) Richards, Paul (Marjorie) Richards, all from Buxton; grandchildren Melissa, Amanda, April, Amber, Ryan, Ben, Josh, and Peter; great-grandchildren, Hannah, Hailee, Olivia, Alexandrea, Cody, Garret, and Curtis, and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held August 7 at 10:00am at the Chad E. Poitras Cremation and Funeral Service Chapel, 498 Long Plains Road (Rt. 22), in Buxton followed by the memorial service at 11:00am. Burial will immediately follow at South Buxton (Tory Hill) Cemetery. Online condolence messages can be submitted at the funeral home website, www.mainefuneral.com
Memorial contributions can be made to the Tory Hill/First Congregational Church of Buxton, PO BOX 37, Bar Mills, Maine 04004.