Yurii F. Richards

Yurii Richards was born in Syracuse, New York and grew up in the Finger Lakes area of New York State. He graduated from Trumansburg High School and went on to become a talented chef. He apprenticed with a well-known chef in Philadelphia and got the rest of his training, he said, from the “school of hard knocks.” He cooked in fine dining establishments both in the Finger Lakes area and around Bozeman and Livingston Montana for over 30 years. He died in Bozeman under the big sky that, as an amateur astronomer, drew him out there in the first place.



In Montana, he enjoyed finding rocks, minerals, and petrified wood along the Yellowstone River. A good day was a trip to find semi-precious stones or visit Yellowstone Park. Yurii liked to explore old mining sites like Bannack and drive through abandoned mining works and towns like Anaconda. He built model glider planes from kits, was a voracious reader, and had a soft spot for kitties.



Yurii is survived by his mother, Maia Nisi of Ithaca, NY, brothers Paul (Heather) Richards of Syracuse, Jeremy (Lisa) Richards of Ithaca, NY, Gareth (Emily) Richards of Newfield, NY, and Tim Richards, and his aunt and uncle Roxanne and Bill Long of Woodbury, NJ. He also leaves behind several cousins, nieces, and nephews.



A memorial service will be held at Dahl Funeral & Cremation Service Tribute Center at 300 Highland Boulevard in Bozeman, Montana on May 20, 2021 from 1 to 3 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations to the HRDC Warming Center in Bozeman, Montana would be most appreciated.