Allen Richardson, August 1, 2003

Published in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin on September 2, 2003

UH loses trusted physician

Dr. Allen Richardson, a longtime physician for University of Hawaii sports teams and a leader in sports medicine in the state, died early yesterday morning at Queen’s Medical Center.

Richardson, 56, had battled cancer for the last five years while maintaining his roles at UH and with Orthopedic Services of Hawaii, seeing patients as recently as two weeks ago. The exact cause of death was not available last night.

“He was the dean of sports medicine in Hawaii,” said Dr. Darryl Kan, one of Richardson’s partners at OSH.

Richardson began his association with the UH athletic department in 1979 and was a fixture on the bench with the Rainbow Wahine volleyball team.

“We’ll miss his expertise but more importantly him just being around,” UH coach Dave Shoji said. “It’s so reassuring to have him in the background with us in matches, at the final four. He was so calm and everybody trusted him. He always made you feel good. It is strange not to see him there.”

The Rainbows were informed prior to last night’s match with UCLA that Richardson had died.

“It was hard to play,” senior Lily Kahumoku said.

Richardson graduated from Punahou School in 1965 and earned his undergraduate degree from Yale. An accomplished swimmer, he once held the national high-school record in the 100-yard breaststroke and was an All-American at Yale.

He went on to graduate from the UCLA School of Medicine in 1973 and returned to Hawaii in 1977. He is credited with being the first surgeon in Hawaii to perform an arthroscopic knee surgery.

A recommendation from Dr. Larry Gordon led to Richardson joining the UH medical staff where he worked closely with Dr. Ralph Hale and UH athletic trainer Melody Toth.

As the UH women’s athletic program expanded in the 1980s, Toth said Richardson was instrumental in developing programs to assist the growing number of student-athletes.

When Richardson became the chairman of the UH Orthopedic Residency Training Program, he started a sports rotation for the residents, allowing physician coverage for all home volleyball, basketball and softball games.

Toth said the relationship between Richardson and herself enhanced treatment for injured athletes. She recalled an incident in 1984 when UH volleyball player Sue Hlavenka dislocated her elbow during a trip to Japan. A doctor in Japan recommended surgery, but Toth called Richardson at 4 a.m. Hawaii time for his opinion. Richardson eventually talked Toth through the delicate procedure of resetting the elbow.

“The trust between Dr. Richardson and I developed over the years where I could call him collect from Japan and it would be like his brain telling my hands what to do,” Toth said. “There was nothing that he couldn’t do for the program.

“Personally and professionally Doc has always been my go-to guy and I think the university is really going to miss him.”

Richardson was also involved in international swimming, attending the last six Olympic Games. He was a medical official for Federation Internationale Natacione Amateur (FINA) and served as chairman of the drug testing committee.

His wife, Pokey Watson Richardson, won Olympic gold medals in swimming at the 1964 and ’68 Games.

Although he excelled in swimming, Richardson’s relationship with the UH women’s volleyball program grew over the years. He paid his own way to accompany the team to the 1996 final four in Cleveland.

Even after he was admitted to the hospital last month, Kan said Richardson’s mind was still on volleyball.

“He wanted to know about what was going on and even had some suggestions on what to do strategy-wise,” Kan said. “He never stopped thinking about those girls on the volleyball team and that really meant a lot to him.”

Three of Richardson’s children are now college athletes themselves. Two play water polo, Keola Richardson at California and Annie Richardson at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.). Puna Richardson is a freshman with the St. John’s women’s volleyball team.

Published in the honolulu.com on September 3, 2003

Allen B. Richardson, UH Wahine team doctor, dead at 56

Dr. Allen B. Richardson, a gifted surgeon whose reassuring presence warmed the Rainbow Wahine bench as team physician for 25 years, died Monday.

Richardson, 56, had been battling cancer.

His loss was mourned by those who knew him personally and professionally. For most, it was both. That is how Richardson approached his work, particularly as a volunteer at the University of Hawai’i.

“What I liked so much is that he felt like I did,” said Dr. Ralph Hale, who asked Richardson to assist with the Rainbow Wahine in 1979. “It was like he was taking care of family and he always did what was best for the athlete, not only in their immediate athletic environment, but also for their future.

“It will be a tremendous loss. There are not very many people of Allen’s capabilities, dedication, willingness and interest.”

Richardson, a 1965 Punahou graduate, received his B.A. degree from Yale and attended UCLA’s School of Medicine. He stayed in Southern California for his internship and residency.

He and his wife, Olympic gold medalist Pokey Watson Richardson, were both age-group swimmers. While she coached the USC swim team, he trained for a year at the renowned Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic, concentrating on athletic injuries and coming in on the cutting edge of arthroscopic surgery. That “solidified” his decision to pursue sports medicine as a career, according to Pokey.

Later, he referred former UH All-American and Olympian Deitre Collins to the respected clinic. Athletes made it a habit of calling him after their careers were over because, as UH trainer Melody Toth put it, “He was internationally renowned — he knew everyone and everyone knew him.”

Besides, Richardson encouraged them to keep in touch.

“My career lasted much longer than I could have ever imagined because of him,” said Collins, now UNLV’s coach. “I lasted until I was 31. That’s pretty good considering I had a surgery every year of my career at Hawai’i. I got to know him pretty well.”

Richardson joined UH as an orthopedic consultant and team physician in time for volleyball’s first national championship in 1979, and never left. He was also a partner, and ultimately president, at Orthopedic Services of Hawai’i, and Chairman and Director of the Orthopedic Residency Training Program at the John A. Burns School of Medicine.

Richardson was active in international swimming, attending six Olympics and serving as sports medicine chair for the U.S. team and Federation Internationale Natacione Amateur (FINA).

All his sports medicine exploits came about “serendipitously,” according to Pokey. He got involved with international swimming initially because he joined her on a trip. Ultimately, he was instrumental in the sport’s medicine and drug testing programs.

“He was very methodical and logical and detailed,” Pokey recalled. “He asked the U.S. Swimming office for reports from the last trip, a list of medications for the athletes. They didn’t have anything like that.

“He came back and wrote a very thorough report. U.S. Swimming went, ‘Oh my God, wow.’ It saw his vision of how it could be and asked him to create the sports medicine department.”

The Rainbows knew to respect Richardson as a physician and surgeon and appreciate his quick, clear analyses of injuries. They grew to respect him as a friend, realizing quickly that his gentle, comforting demeanor was as genuine as his interest in their well-being.

“He was handsome, he was kind, and just calming and reassuring,” Collins said. “Not once did I ever fear going into surgery and not once did I consider my career being over because of surgery. That’s just the comfort he gave me.”

Rainbow Wahine volleyball coach Dave Shoji shared a passion for golf with Richardson, who took trips to Scotland and Ireland to play legendary courses.

But his most compelling legacy in a life of remarkable success might be that wonderful demeanor, particularly in times of trauma.

“He was truly one of the nicest people I’ll ever know,” his wife said. “He had a really nice, gentle demeanor that facilitated people working together. He was a very pro-active individual who could look at any situation and come up with a plan to deal with it positively. That’s how he handled this entire cancer process. He was diagnosed five years ago this month. He handled it with great dignity and grace, moving forward one step at a time, going forward as much as he could.”

The Richardsons have three children. Andrew is a senior on the Cal water polo team. Annie is a Division III All-American and Academic All-American in water polo at Claremont-McKenna. Puna is a freshman volleyball player at St. John’s.

Services will be Sunday at Kawaiaha’o Church, following the 4:30 p.m. family visitation.

[in_memoriam_closing]