John Earnest Richards

“ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7

John Earnest Richards, known to everyone as Earnie, passed away on 05/20/2026 in West Jordan, Utah, after a courageous battle with cancer.

Born on October 9, 1950, in Kansas City, Missouri to Marrion Poynor. Raised in Salt Lake City by Claude and Alice Poynor (grandparents).

Earnie attended South High School and built a long career in transportation, working at Industrial Steel before joining Consolidated Freightways in 1977 and later Yellow Freight. He retired in 2005 after decades of hard work and commitment. On April 12, 1975, he married the love of his life, Evie, and together they built a family that meant everything to him.

One of the most defining chapters of Earnie’s life was his membership in Alcoholics Anonymous, where he remained in good standing for over 40 years. AA became a third family to him, and he devoted himself to mentoring and supporting countless men and women along the way. His dedication to his AA community touched more lives than he probably even realized.

Earnie will be remembered for his giving spirit and his unwavering support of his children and grandchildren. He showed up for the people he loved, plain and simple.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Evie Richards of over 50 years; his daughter, Kellie Anderson(Brian); His sister Susan Yoshinaga(Ed), brother David Richards(Janice), grandchildren Hailey, Austin, Alonso, and Adan; his Poynor Family, Hardy Family and AA family.

He was preceded in death by his beloved daughter, Stacey, his first grandchild Kylee, his sister Reeda, and many family members.

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, June 20, 2026 at 11:00 AM at Larkin Sunset Gardens (1950 E. Dimple Dell Rd, Sandy, Utah). A visitation will be held Friday, June 19, from 6:00-8:00 PM and Saturday, June 20 from 10:00-10:50 AM at Larkin Sunset Gardens. In true Earnie fashion, the family asks that attendees please dress in University of Utah gear to honor his favorite team.

The family wishes to thank the many nurses and doctors who treated Earnie over the years, with special gratitude to Sheila Rathke, who so selflessly donated a kidney to Earnie and helped prolong his life. The family will be forever grateful for the extra time we were granted because of Sheila’s selfless gift.

To view Earnie's service online via Zoom, please click the blue tab above that says "Watch Services".