Cadets bid farewell to Dennis Richardson

The cadets and faculty of Sarasota Military Academy are mourning the loss of an instructor and mentor. 

Retired Sgt. Maj. Dennis Richardson Sr., 59, died Oct. 16 after battling cancer. Students were aware that he was ill but he never showed signs of pain according to SMA Executive Director Christina Bowman. 

“We’ve lost a family member and he played an integral role,” Bowman said. “He was a very calm man but he had high expectations and he modeled those high expectations for his cadets as an example of honor and self-discipline.”

Richardson retired from the United States Army after 31 years of service and became an instructor at SMA for the Junior Reserved Officer Training Corps or JROTC. He used his military training and experience as a teaching tool for students. 

“He had a way of turning cadets around who maybe from time-to-time might not have made the best of choices,” Bowman said.  “He just had a very special way of reaching out to them and turning them around. Our cadets knew that he cared.”

An outpour of support from cadets was on display on campus with flowers and messages as well as for a memorial on Siesta Key Beach Wednesday evening. Hundreds of students and alumni gathered to share stories about their time as Richardson’s students. 

Friday morning, cadets led a silent march in honor of Richardson from the campus on Orange Avenue and 10th Street to the First Baptist Church on Main Street for Richardson’s funeral service. His wife Coretta was presented with a black box that was filled with memories from cadets. Following the service Richardson’s son, Staff Sgt. Dennis Richardson Jr. sent the regiment of cadets off and recited cadence.

“Our cadets loved him,” Bowman said. “The thing about him was kids don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care. They know how much he cared about them.”

Richardson received a burial with military honors at the Sarasota National Cemetery.