4/1/1978 – 6/14/2026
Lawrence
Allison Burnham Richards passed away suddenly on June 14, 2026 at her home in Lawrence, KS. She was born in Nevada Mills, Indiana in 1978 and attended the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Trained as a Certified Nurse Assistant, Allison was an entrepreneur who worked in a number of professions that centered on providing care for people and helping them to reach their full potential. Her kindness and commitment to those she served enhanced many lives. She loved art and majored in it in college, was accomplished at drawing, and was a regular on the live music scene in Lawrence and Kansas City, especially if a Grateful Dead cover band was playing.
Allison cherished and was a loving mother to Mason Thomas Richards and Grace Elizabeth Richards, who survive her. She delighted in their development and had many stories to share of her pride in them. She is also survived by her father, Thomas Burnham of Florida, her sister, Autumn of Indiana, and a nephew. She leaves a wide circle of friends who will dearly miss her kindheartedness, strong spirit, dry sense of humor, and presence in their lives. A celebration of her life is planned at a local music venue at a later date.
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