Susan Ann Richardson

Susan was born in Pampa, Texas on April 14, 1947, the first child of Maynard William Rafferty, Jr. and Mary Frances Yeager Rafferty. Her father, “Mickey” worked for Cabot Carbon Company as a scout and later a landman after serving as a pilot for the Army Air Corps in World War II where he achieved the rank of Captain. The family was transferred by Cabot to Midland, Texas in 1952. Susan attended Lamar Elementary and Bonham Elementary.  Following another “oil bust” in the Permian Basin, the family was transferred to Denver, Colorado. In 1960, the family was transferred to the new oil and gas center in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Susan attended Lafayette High School where she served as an officer in several clubs including the French Club. She was a member of the Honor Society and graduated as Valedictorian in May of 1965. In the summer of 1965, Susan met and began dating Byron W. Sewell, an engineering graduate from the University of New Mexico. Susan entered Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas in the fall of 1965. Because she earned a full scholarship from Cabot Corporation, her father’s employer, she was able to substantially pay her own way through college although she had to graduate in just over three years to make the scholarship money stretch. During her tenure there, Susan was President of the Sophomore Class and later a student senator. She had a double-major of English and History, with a minor in education. She graduated with honors in August of 1968.

Her first post-graduation job was with the Taylor County Child Welfare. Prior to that employment Susan had applied for doctoral programs in English in several graduate schools and was accepted by the University of Wisconsin, Duke, North Carolina and the University of Texas but there was just no money available for graduate school. Later in life, Susan was grateful that the English doctoral programs closed to her so that other doors could open. Susan and Byron were married in August of 1969 and moved to Houston, Texas where Byron was employed as a chemical engineer with Union Carbide. Susan transferred to the Harris County Child Welfare Office where she served as a liaison for the agency at the two county hospitals, Ben Taub and Jefferson Davis. In 1970, Byron was transferred overseas by Union Carbide and so began their adventure of living and traveling overseas for about three years.

Their first assignment was in London, England. Since Susan was unable to obtain a “green card” to work, she spent her days going through museums, attending auctions at Sotheby’s and Christies, and attending live theater matinees in the West End of London Theater District. Susan and Byron were able to travel extensively during that time in Europe, England, Ireland and Scotland. After a year, they were transferred to Steningsund, Sweden, a small coastal town on the West Coast of Sweden. Highlights of that assignment were trips to Norway and Denmark. After another year, the couple was transferred to Melbourne, Australia where Susan taught English in middle school and high school in a suburb of Melbourne. There were also train and airplane trips to several coastal cities. During those travels, Susan enrolled for a business litigation course by mail through the University of Texas. Since this was before computers, faxes or e-mail, all the work was sent by snail mail to the University, but it awoke a passion in Susan to attend law school. Before entering law school, many memorable trips were also taken to Germany, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, South Africa and Italy. Probably the highlight trip of a lifetime was two-week camera safari to Tanzania and Kenya in 1972.

Susan and Byron returned to the United States in the spring of 1973 and Susan entered law school at the University of Texas in the fall of 1973. In the summer of 1974, Susan clerked for Gulf Oil Corporation in Midland, Texas working primarily on oil and gas cases. She didn’t believe at the time that oil and gas was her calling so she never took oil and gas classes in law school. Little did she know that she would spend over 40 years doing primarily oil and gas litigation.  After graduating from law school in 1976, Byron and Susan decided to stay in Austin and Susan went to work for the Attorney General’s office under Attorney General John Hill.  This was an interesting interlude for Susan as her two major clients were the Texas Prison System and the Liquor Control Board.

In the spring of 1977, Susan received a call from Jessie Luton, Assistant General Counsel for Gulf, asking her if she wanted to come to work for Gulf Oil in its Houston headquarters as an employment law and oil and gas litigator.  Byron and Susan decided to accept that assignment and Byron transferred back to Houston to work for Union Carbide again.  Working for Gulf was exceptionally exciting as Jessie Luton was one of the all-time great trial lawyers in Texas and had put together a young litigation and oil and gas team of exceptional lawyers.  In that capacity, Susan was privileged to sit second-chair to Jerry Duck, another young Gulf attorney, in a case that was heard by the United States Supreme Court.  She also argued a landmark oil and gas case, Westland, before the Texas Supreme Court, all before she was a five-year lawyer.  In 1983, Byron and Susan separated and went their respective ways.

In May of 1985, Susan married Reuben S. Richardson, who was an investigator for Gulf Oil Corporation.  At that time the merger of Gulf and Chevron was in process and the couple learned that Reuben was being transferred to Midland, Texas.  Reuben had lived in Midland in the 1960’s while working for the Texas Department of Public Safety so both had roots in Midland and were grateful to be transferred.  Susan had become associated with the law firm of Cotton, Bledsoe, Tighe and Dawson, P.C. in 1981 when, as a Gulf attorney, she hired Charlie Tighe and Bob Bledsoe as local counsel in a series of oil and gas cases in the Mi Vida Field, Ward County, Texas.  In 1985, Susan talked to Charlie about an associate position in the law firm that he and Bledsoe and others had established in 1974.  Charlie and the firm agreed and Susan went to work for them in August of 1985.  In 1989 Susan became a shareholder in the law firm.  She later became a Board-certified Oil and Gas Attorney and a Board-certified Employment Attorney.  Her association with the firm was a long and joyful one practicing with people of ability, integrity and dedication to their clients until her retirement in December of 2015.  Susan especially treasured her professional and personal relationships with Charlie Tighe, Bob Bledsoe, Bob Dawson and later Stephanie Lee.  Susan was named by Texas Lawyer as a Texas Super Lawyer for a number of years and in December of 2016 was honored as one of the top Fifteen Oil and Gas Female Lawyers in Texas.  She was also chair of the very first Oil, Gas and Energy Pattern Jury Charge Committee as well as the Oil, Gas and Energy Section of the State Bar of Texas.  She served on the Texas State Bar Pattern Jury Charge Committee for Oil and Gas for over six years.  She was also named an honoree by the Women’s Energy Network of the Permian Basin in 2017.

During their time in Midland, Susan and Reuben joined the First Presbyterian Church where she served as ad-hoc counsel to the church, as an Elder for two three-year tenures and as a long-standing member of the Personnel Committee.  After her retirement from the law firm, she served as temporary business manager for the Church until a permanent replacement could be found in the spring of 2016.  Susan served on the board of Hospice of Midland for approximately six years and she and Reuben served as CASA special advocates for children for seven years.

Susan and Reuben were so grateful to be able to live in Midland, Texas.  In 1990, they bought their home on Bluebird Lane complete with barns and horse pens where they lived for over 30 years.  They loved sharing their lives with their horses, and their Boston Terriers, Boots, Deuce, Amos and Andy.  They also had many cats along the way, but the last pair were Bonnie and Clyde.  They enjoyed cruises to Alaska, special trips with friends to New York City, and an extended trip to Switzerland.  For several years, they owned a two-acre camp site outside of Cloudcroft, New Mexico, where Reuben spent many happy days riding his quarter horse in the Lincoln National Forest.

Susan truly loved the “Law” and believed practicing law at Cotton, Bledsoe, Tighe & Dawson was one of the most profound blessings in her life.

Susan is survived by her husband, Reuben Richardson, her brother Edward Rafferty, and her sisters Nancy and Colleen Rafferty.  She will be missed by her many friends, family members, and colleagues.

The family will receive guests from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Sunday, August 28, 2022 at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home.  Celebration of life will be held at 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 30, 2022 at First Presbyterian Church, Midland.

In lieu of flowers please send donations to Soul Cafe Church, 426 Prospect Rd., Ledbetter, TX  78946.

Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland.  Online condolences may be made at www.npwelch.com.

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