Ralph A. Richardson
Ralph Richardson possessed unlimited energy and was a born entrepreneur. This combination enabled him to become a prominent and highly respected businessman in the Roanoke Valley. He was also a true patriot in time of war and, in times of peace, dedicated to his adopted town of Salem.
Ralph was in the first graduating class at Andrew Lewis High School in 1934. It was during the Great Depression that his family moved to Salem from western Virginia. His father was to manage a local dairy herd that, unfortunately, after their arrival was found to have tuberculosis and was destroyed. This, of course, created uncertain times for the Richardsons.
It also explains why Ralph, in the early years of high school, began working afternoons and Saturdays at the local A&P store sweeping, stocking, bagging, and delivering groceries. It also accounts for why he had not time for extracurricular activities at school. However, not content with menial tasks, Ralph set out to learn store operations and supervision and, by age 19, he became store manager.
However, with the advent of World War II, Ralph entered the army as a private in June 1941 and remained there until November 1945. Even in the army, he proved to have something “extra” as a tank commander in Patton’s 10th Armored Division where he rose to the rank of staff sergeant. In the battle of Wittlich he was awarded the Silver Star and, at Crailshien, the Bronze Star. Later, he fought in the Battle of the Bulge and at Bastogne.
Upon being discharged, Ralph returned to Salem and A&P, but with money saved from the service, he planned to open his own grocery store and soon did so with a produce stand at 8 East Street. His brothers, Harold and Frank, joined him in the venture which they appropriately called the “Green Market.” It was soon expanded to include canned goods, a meat departments, and finally, a full service store and supermarket. Ralph then joined with other independent grocers to form a wholesale cooperative named Associated Grocers, to improve buying power. He served on the board of directors until the co-op was sold to Malone and Hype, a regional grocery supplier with even greater buying power.
In the late sixties, Ralph opened the first of his eleven Orange Market convenience stores. At peak, he had over 80 employees, many of whom he personally trained and, for a number of them, he helped to obtain something circumstanced denied him - a college education. In 1985, Ralph elected to retire at age 70 and sold most of his stores to a Richmond grocer.
With little time for playing as a youngster, Ralph loved baseball and in the early fifties organized the Salem Athletic Club to bring professional baseball to the valley. This led to many years of Class A baseball in Salem and affiliation with the Pittsburgh Pirates. For over 25 years, Ralph was President of the local club and its financial backer. In lean years, he picked up the tab at the end of the season.
Ralph was married to Mareta Cook Richardson and they had four daughters: Ellen Driscoll, Fran and Sheryl Richardson, and Cathy Marion. As a member of the Salem Baptist Church, he gave generously to building programs and other activities. He believed in community service and was on both the Salem Planning Commission and the Salem Industrial Development Authority. He served on the board of the Bank of Salem, and later the Bank of Virginia – Salem, Branch. Quite benevolent, he provided a no-interest line of credit at Green Market often knowing the customer was in no position to pay.
Honors were many and included being named Merchant of the Year by the Salem Chamber of Commerce and induction in the Roanoke-Salem Baseball Hall of Fame. In further recognition of the outstanding career achievements, Ralph A. Richardson was among the charter members inducted into the Salem Alumni Hall of Fame established by the Salem Educational Foundation and Alumni Association in 1996.
