Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard of Joplin calls the Senate into session on Wednesday, April 18, 2018 at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City. Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com
JEFFERSON CITY — Ron Richard, a Joplin bowling alley owner who served as the leader in both chambers of the Missouri Legislature, died Friday morning. He was 75.
Richard, who kept a hand in Missouri politics after leaving the Senate in 2019 due to term limits, was remembered as a no-nonsense leader who pushed for conservative Republican policies during a tenure in the Legislature that began in 2002.
“I am so sorry to hear of the passing of former Missouri Senate President Ron Richard,” said Senate President Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia. “Ronny had a gruff exterior, but was as loyal, as loving and as sincere as anyone I have ever known. His legacy will live on for decades to come.”
Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, who served with Richard in Senate leadership, said he and his wife, Claudia, were heartbroken by the news.
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“Few elected officials have been a more effective advocate for Missourians than Ron. Our state was blessed to have his steady, consistent leadership. I also consider myself blessed to call him a friend and will miss him dearly,” said Kehoe, who enlisted Richard to serve as treasurer of a political action committee raising money for the lieutenant governor’s 2024 gubernatorial bid.
“Ron has taught me more about responsible leadership and public service than any other person in the Capitol. He was a source of wisdom, advice, and counsel that cannot be replaced,” Kehoe said.
A cause of death was not immediately available. Gov. Mike Parson’s office said Richard died at about 6:45 a.m. Friday.
Parson, who served alongside Richard in both the House and Senate, said Richard was a “strong leader and dedicated public servant.”
“Ron was one of few great men to have served as both President of the Missouri Senate and Speaker of the Missouri House during his public service career,” Parson said.
Former Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, tweeted, “Honest and Tough can still get you a long way in America. Ron Richard got to the pinnacle of power living that way. A leader for the ages.”
Richard owned C & N Bowling Corporation in Joplin, carrying on a family business that his parents had launched. He was elected to the Missouri House in 2002 and rose to the speaker position, which is the highest ranking member of the chamber.
He served in the Missouri Senate from 2010 to 2018, serving as Senate president from 2015 to 2018.
As a lawmaker, he pressed his colleagues to approve an anti-union “right to work” law that he believed would spur investment by businesses in the state.
House Speaker Ron Richard, R-Joplin, right, answers a reporter’s question during the Associated Press/Missouri Press Association Day at the Capitol, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2010, in Jefferson City. House minority leader Rep. Paul LeVota, D-Independence, listens at left. (AP Photo/Kelley McCall)
He also was a stickler for Senate decorum, often reminding senators, aides and members of the press to tighten their neckties when they were on the floor.
“I served with Ron Richard for a decade. I don’t know anyone that cared more for the institutions of the house and senate. One day my tie was ‘slightly’ undone, he walked right over and said Hummel it’s an honor to serve here. Fix that damn tie!,” said former Senate Minority Leader Jake Hummel, D-St. Louis.
Richard also was mayor of Joplin and a member of the city council in the 1990s.
A Kansas native, Richard moved to Joplin during his childhood. He attended Missouri Southern State University, receiving a bachelor’s degree in 1969. He received a master’s degree two years later from MSU when it was still known as Southwest Missouri State College.
Richard took a leadership role in rebuilding Joplin after a tornado devastated the community in 2011. He also was Senate leader during the downfall of former Gov. Eric Greitens in 2018.
Before Greitens quit, Richard was among those urging him to step aside or face impeachment proceedings.
Former colleagues and Capitol denizens remembered him as a reliable standard-bearer for conservative Republican policies.
“He was a partner in passing conservative reform legislation, and even when we disagreed he always told me the truth. He will be missed,” said former Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake Saint Louis, in a tweet.
Lobbyist Sam Lee, who advocates for anti-abortion laws and policies, also was saddened by the news.
“Ron Richard was a loyal supporter of the pro-life cause when he served in the Missouri House and Senate,” Lee tweeted.
Former Gov. Matt Blunt, who was in office when Richard led the House, said, “Ron Richard was a good friend who truly loved Missouri.”
Richard is survived by his wife, Patty, two children and five grandchildren.