John B. Richard

John Benard Richard, retired Director of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library System, died on Sunday, August 31, 2025. He was born November 2, 1932, in Gulfport, Mississippi to John Jesse Richard and Helen Schott Richard.

John is survived by his wife of 54 years, Sandra Davis Richard, son, John Blake Richard (Kristy), daughter, Elizabeth Richard Griffin (Shane), and daughter-in-law, Susan Mosley Reech; nine grandchildren: Madison Croom, Olivia Mosley-Belsha (Ian), Jackson Mosley (Abigail), Henry Mosley, John Brady Richard (Cappi), Andrew Richard, Luke Richard, Grant Griffin, and Blake Griffin; great-granddaughter, Emmy Croom; sister, Shirley Richard Foss; and sister-in-law, Virginia Carr Richard. He is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

John is preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Carroll Richard, and his son, Brian Davis Mosley.

John graduated as valedictorian from Woolmarket High School in 1950. He graduated from Perkinston Junior College in 1952, received a B.S. from Mississippi Southern College in 1954, and a M. S. in Library Science from Louisiana State University in 1960. John served three years in the Army Security Agency, mostly in Europe from 1954-1957.

His library career began in the seventh grade as a library page, and he continued working in libraries throughout his college career. He worked in the Humanities Division and the Preparations Department at LSU-BR until he was selected to start a library at the newly legislated LSU-Alexandria in 1960, where he remained for 16 years. His leadership and organizational skills were used to select staff, plan the library building, develop the library collection as well as teach Books and Libraries. He also taught library administration and library reference sources in the LSU Graduate School of Library and Information Sciences.

In 1977, he became the third director of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library System, where he remained until his retirement in 2003. With the Library Board of Control, he was responsible for encouraging the citizens of EBR Parish to vote for the first dedicated millage for the support of the library system. The continued passage of this tax, built new buildings, programs, and technologies to make the EBR Parish Library one of the premier public library systems in the country.

John was recognized for his many accomplishments in libraries and received many awards including: the Alexandria Daily Town Talk’s Noteworthy Achievement Award for the Central Louisiana Area, the Louisiana Library Association’s Essae M. Culver Distinguished Service Award, the Medal of Honor from the SNDAR, the Outstanding Alumna of the Year from the LSU Board of Library and Information Science, and the Louis Shores-Onyx Press Award for Excellence in Reviewing Reference Books and other Library Materials. He served as President of the Louisiana Library Association and was a delegate to the first White House Conference on Libraries.

A loving husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, uncle, and friend, he was especially close to his grandchildren and affectionately known as Pawpaw John, Johnnie, and Guy.

A lifelong Catholic, John was a longtime member of St. George Catholic Church, where he served on several committees throughout the years.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Funeral Mass at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 6, 2025, at St. George Catholic Church, 7808 St. George Drive in Baton Rouge. A Visitation will be held at the church beginning at 9:30 a.m. Entombment will follow at St. George Catholic Church Cemetery Mausoleum. The family invites those attending to a reception that will follow at the church in the Kleinpeter Center.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in honor of John B. Richard can be made to the Patrons of the Public Library fund https://www.ebrpl.com/about/patrons-of-the-public-library/ or St. George Catholic Church Building Fund https://osvhub.com/st-georgebatonrouge/giving/funds/building-fund .

Family and friends may sign the online guestbook or leave a personal note to the family at www.resthavenbatonrouge.com