"My Promise" by Joe Richardson II

In 2004, Sharon, my first wife of nearly 53 years, died. But her dream and mine of a Hospice home in Sheboygan County is becoming a reality.
Sharon S Richardson

Let me share with you how this happened. Sharon's Oncologist during the final 7 years of her life was Dr. H. Marshall Matthews. He would see her every other week and I would make it a point to also be present. During one of these sessions, Dr. Matthews mentioned the need for a Hospice Home in our County, and how he had been trying to make this happen.

Sharon and I looked at each other, and without speaking we knew that this was the kind of project we had been looking for. When we left Dr. Matthew's office, Sharon expressed our unspoken thoughts. We would help plan and build a hospice home in Sheboygan County.

Sharon's condition worsened in 2004 and she agreed to enter a Home Hospice Program. We were both impressed with the love and the care rendered by the wonderful caregivers providing these services. Our ambitions to help build a Hospice Home were strengthened when we realized that many terminal patients couldn't die at home as Sharon was able to do. The only alternatives were a hospital or a nursing home at that point.

A few days before Sharon's death, we were visited by Dr. Matthews and Mary Mueller, RN, NP. They shared with us some of the preliminary plans for a Hospice Facility. Sharon and I both resolved to help with this important cause. I promised Sharon that I would see this through and make sure it would happen and that it would be called Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice.

Since Sharon's death on May 4, 2004, the Hospice Home is now a reality and the headquarters for our entire operation including: Administration, the Home Hospice Program, and the Hospice Center. We have completed our building campaign of $7 million and now are working to build a Patient Care Fund and grow the Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice Endowment to ensure that patients and families are served regardless of their ability to pay – a value that we all hold dear.

My children, current wife Betty and I are grateful beyond words for the support we continue to receive from communities across the region for this important cause. Your support with gifts large and small made the dream of a few, a reality for many for years to come - a legacy of love by all involved.

Making a Vision a Reality

Joe Richardson II, who lost his wife, Sharon , to cancer in 2004, is committed to bringing a hospice home to Sheboygan County. Local oncologist Dr. Marshall Matthews, who treated Sharon for 7 years, has had a dream
for a local residential hospice home for many years. Joe Richardson II and his children have pledged $1.5 million toward making the dream of a hospice home a reality. Total cost for the building is $7.2 million. The design will create a setting that feels more like a home than a hospital, but will offer all the latest state-of-the-art health care features necessary to deliver the utmost care. The plan allows for an 18-bed facility (28,000 sq. ft.) in a quiet, peaceful, garden-like environment.

A country location, just outside Sheboygan Falls and overlooking the Mullet River, has been selected for the Hospice Home. The building will be sited adjacent to the Richardson property, ensuring a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere for years to come. Therapeutic gardens, nature trails, and destination points will be incorporated into the property. The Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice will be one of the most innovative of its kind in the nation. Patients and families alike will enjoy the atmosphere of a country retreat.

The one-story structure creates a smaller-scale, less institutional appearance. Resident suites are designed with two orientations to the exterior, extra space for families, maximized privacy, and control over the environment. Each room will have access to private patio and garden spaces. A number of other accessible spaces, such as a great room, dining room, chapel, library, children's play area, spa, and kitchen will be available to both residents and family members.

The Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice will provide services based on need, regardless of financial resources.