Wallis Ann Jacquot Richards

Wallis Ann “Ann” Jacquot Richards, a devoted wife, loving mother, dependable family member, compassionate nurse, dedicated public servant, and ordained deacon whose life radiated selfless service to God and neighbor, passed away peacefully on Holy Thursday, April 2, 2026, at 3:07 a.m., at the age of 84. Born on January 26, 1942, in Biloxi, Mississippi, she lived a remarkable journey of healing, ministry, and faith, always extending Christ’s mercy to families, the vulnerable, and her parish communities.

Ann loved her family and cherished time with them. She was preceded in death by her parents, Wallace and Linnie Jacquot; her sister, Joyce Lee Jacquot; and her husband of 49 years, Benjamin Ammon Richards IV. She is survived by her children, Benjamin Ammon Richards V and Deborah Lynn Foy; her four grandsons, Benjy Richards, Micah Medell, Alex Richards, and Daniel Foy; her great‑granddaughter, Arden Richards; her brother-in -law, Bob Martin; and her nephews, Robert Martin, Richard Martin, and Mark Martin.

From a young age, Ann embraced her vocation to care for others. She graduated from the Mobile Infirmary School of Nursing in 1963 and began her career as a public health nurse and school nurse in Biloxi, Mississippi. There Ann tended to countless individuals—vaccinating children, counseling families, and mending wounds with skill, gentleness, and compassion. Her service later extended to the State of Texas, where she supervised adult daycares and ensured dignified care for the elderly. Her ability to manage a large workload and responsivity through hard work and organization was a great gift from God that she used to its full potential.

Answering a profound call to ordained ministry, Ann was ordained a deacon in the Episcopal Church USA, later continuing her ministry in the Anglican Church in North America. She served faithfully in three parishes—Saint Stephen’s, All Saints, Saint Martin in the Fields and Broadway Nursing Home—where she established and led Bible studies and Stephen Ministries, fostering spiritual growth, support, and community among the faithful. Ann evangelized worldwide, participating in mission trips to Africa and Mexico, carrying the Gospel with a joy that drew people in rather than pushed them away. Her faith was never theoretical — it was lived, shared, and poured out generously for others. 

Ann gave back to Biloxi after Hurricane Katrina with the same wholehearted devotion. When her hometown was hurting, she became a steady force of compassion, organizing efforts to rebuild churches, restore neighborhoods, and uplift families who had lost everything. Ann didn’t simply coordinate projects; she listened, prayed, and stood shoulder‑to‑shoulder with those in need. Her generosity extended far beyond any single moment of crisis. She was the kind of woman who noticed the quiet the needs of others and worked hard to fill them. 

Whether across oceans or in her own backyard, Ann lived the Gospel through service, leaving behind a legacy of compassion that continues to ripple outward. She was also a devoted leader in the Cursillo movement, serving as a spiritual director on countless retreats and walking patiently with others as they discovered — or rediscovered — the nearness of God. Ann had a gift for helping people hear the quiet movements of the Holy Spirit, and many lives were transformed because she chose to accompany them with humility, wisdom, and joy. Her service was never about recognition; it was about helping souls encounter Christ in a deeper, more personal way. 

It is profoundly fitting that Ann completed her earthly pilgrimage on Holy Thursday, the night our Lord instituted the Eucharist and opened the path to full communion with Him. The day itself reflects the very heart of her life: service, sacrifice, and love poured out for others. As Jesus said, “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again’” (John 3:7). She believed those words, lived them, and helped others experience that new birth in the Spirit. 

Ann’s life was a tapestry of faith in action — evangelizing across continents, rebuilding her beloved Biloxi after Katrina, guiding retreatants toward Christ, and offering quiet acts of charity that only Heaven fully saw. She served with a heart anchored in the Gospel, and she leaves behind a legacy of transformed lives, renewed hope, and a community strengthened by her witness.

Her family remembers her as a woman passionate about the Lord, her family, and fishing. Ann spent many joyful days fishing with loved ones on the family boat in Biloxi and later on charter boats during visits from Texas. Yet her greatest “catch” was always people—drawing souls to Christ and passing her vibrant faith to her family and all who knew her. Like the early Christian symbol of the fish (Ichthys), she lived as one called to be a fisher of men.

A woman of deep prayer, Ann drew strength from Scripture and the sacraments, teaching those around her to live as disciples: “Everyone who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40).

A Funeral Mass for the Deceased will be held at Church of the Redeemer Episcopal Church, 904 Popp’s Ferry Rd., Biloxi, MS 39532, on Tuesday, May 14, 2026, with visitation at 10:00 a.m., Rosary at 10:30 a.m. and the Funeral Mass at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at: Coalville Cemetery, 12556 Lorraine Road, Biloxi, Mississippi 39532 followed by a reception in the fellowship hall of Coalville United Methodist Church across the street from the Coalville Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011.

Eternal Rest in Christ’s Light

In the mystery of death, we entrust Wallis Ann Richards to the Lord who conquered the grave. As the Church prays:

O God, who willed that your Only Begotten Son, having conquered death, should pass over into the realm of heaven, grant, we pray, to your departed servant Wallis Ann Richards that, with the mortality of this life overcome, she may gaze eternally on you, her Creator and Redeemer. Through Christ our Lord.

May the angels lead her into paradise, and may perpetual light shine upon her among the saints.

Be blessed, O God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… Hear the prayer we address to You for our loved one who has left this world. Open the arms of your mercy and receive her into the glorious assembly of the holy Jerusalem.

Requiem

Family and friends are invited to share condolences at https://www.bradfordokeefe.com/obituaries

Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home, 15th Street, Gulfport, is honored to serve the family of Wallis Ann Jacquot Richards.