Eric Leonard Richards

Eric Leonard Richards Sr. was a long-time Reno attorney whose life spanned two continents. Born Sven Erik Leonart Karlsson in Umea, Sweden, on September 24, 1927, he came to the United States aboard the Gripsholm on New Year's Day, 1930, and made the Reno area his home for most of his life.

Mr. Richards earned his Bachelor of Law on June 8, 1958, from the Washington College of Law at American University in Washington, D.C. He was admitted to the Nevada State Bar in 1958 and began his legal career in public service, working as a Deputy District Attorney in Washoe County from 1959 to 1961. He went on to establish his own private law practice, which he maintained until his retirement in 2005 - a professional life devoted to the practice of law in northern Nevada spanning nearly five decades.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years, Ann E. (East) Richards, and is survived by his five children and 12 grandchildren. Eric Leonard Richards Sr. died on June 26, 2007, in Reno, Nevada.