Mary Richardson, a veteran Boston broadcaster and former co-anchor of Chronicle on WCVB Channel 5, died Sunday night after a courageous seven-year fight with Alzheimer’s Disease. Mary Richardson was 76 years old at the time.
- “Three children, Chris, Jessie, and Matt, as well as two grandkids, survive Mary Richardson.
- She joined Peter Meegan as a co-anchor of the station’s famed Chronicle in 1984.
- Richardson co-anchored Chronicle alongside Anthony Everett from 2005 until 2010.
- Mary had it all: Mary Richardson was an excellent reporter, writer, and producer, as well as being brilliant and possessing the irrepressible Irish spirit and humor.
- Mary was one of Channel 5’s most valued and highly-regarded journalists whose standard of quality impacts Chronicle to this day:
- Richardson co-hosted the annual Holiday at Pops!
- Mary Richardson was the first woman to co-anchor an 11 p.m. broadcast in Boston: She soon rose to become one of Boston’s most well-known local television journalists.
- Richardson started her career in television in 1973 at KCRA-TV in Sacramento, California.
- Mary Richardson was the co-anchor for the 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts at that station by 1975.
- In 2010, Boston Healthcare for the Homeless presented Richardson with the first-ever Tim Russert Award.
- Mary Richardson was nominated for a national Primetime Emmy Award as co-host of Pops Goes the Fourth!
Richardson is survived by her husband, Stan Leven, who worked with Chronicle for many years as a senior producer. “ Mary Richardson never allowed her Alzheimer’s define her or slow her down,” Leven added. As genuine as they come, she was a moving force who was always courteous enough to stop and chat with her followers. Our family has come to terms with the fact that we have Mary Richardson in common; you can’t contain Mary.”
Contents
- 1 Three children, Chris, Jessie, and Matt, as well as two grandkids, survive Richardson:
- 2 “Mary was one of Channel 5’s most valued and highly-regarded journalists whose standard of quality impacts Chronicle to this day:”
- 3 She was the first woman to co-anchor an 11 p.m. broadcast in Boston:
- 4 Chronicle won two prestigious Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Awards:
Three children, Chris, Jessie, and Matt, as well as two grandkids, survive Richardson:
Mary Richardson joined WCVB in 1980 as a news reporter and anchor, and presenter of the weekly public affairs show “Five on Five,” and has been a cherished member of the Channel 5 family for more than 30 years.
Mary Richardson joined Peter Meegan as a co-anchor of the station’s famed Chronicle in 1984, which is currently the country’s longest-running locally-produced nightly newsmagazine. Richardson co-anchored Chronicle alongside Anthony Everett from 2005 until 2010.
“As Chronicle celebrates its 40th anniversary, Mary Richardson is recognized as part of the show for much of those 40 years,” stated Paul LaCamera, former WCVB Channel 5 President and General Manager and friend of Richardson. She carried with her a sense of pride, excitement, and enjoyment of where we reside in New England.
Mary Richardson had it all: she was an excellent reporter, writer, and producer, as well as being brilliant, gorgeous, charming, and possessing the irrepressible Irish spirit and humor. To all of us, a beloved colleague and friend.”
“We are profoundly sorry to learn of Mary’s loss,” said Kyle Grimes, WCVB Channel 5 President and General Manager.
“Mary was one of Channel 5’s most valued and highly-regarded journalists whose standard of quality impacts Chronicle to this day:”
Richardson’s work on Chronicle led her to places like “The Main Streets and Back Roads of New England,” her ancestral Ireland, the Great Wall of China, Castro’s Cuba, Belize, Greece, and more, where she reported tales from all over the world.
Mary Richardson co-hosted the annual Holiday at Pops! Event from Symphony Hall in Boston for a decade and the popular Pops, Goes the Fourth! A celebration from the Hatch Shell on the Charles River. The performances were televised locally on WCVB Channel 5 and nationally on the A&E Network, attracting millions.
She was the first woman to co-anchor an 11 p.m. broadcast in Boston:
She soon became one of Boston’s most well-known local television journalists. Richardson started her career in television in 1973 at KCRA-TV in Sacramento, California. Mary Richardson was the co-anchor for the 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts at that station by 1975.
Richardson was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2011 for her contributions to the broadcast business throughout the years. In 2010, Boston Healthcare for the Homeless presented Mary Richardson with the first-ever Tim Russert Award.
Richardson has also received a 2010 Pinnacle Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and the 2009 National Academy of Arts and Sciences Silver Circle Award for her substantial contributions to her community.
Chronicle won two prestigious Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Awards:
Mary Richardson has six national Gabriel Awards and multiple regional Emmy Awards with Richardson as co-anchor. She was nominated for a national Primetime Emmy Award as co-host of Pops Goes the Fourth!
Richardson offered her time to several Massachusetts organizations throughout the years, including Horizons for Homeless Children in Boston, reading to homeless children. Richardson also volunteered with Boston Healthcare for the Homeless, the Catholic Schools Foundation Inner-City Scholarship Fund, and the Jesuit Province of New England.
Richardson was born and reared in California. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara University and her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of California, Davis, and California State University.
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