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Tannis Maree Thorlakson Richardson
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Community activist, philanthropist.
Born at Winnipeg on 14 July 1926, daughter of Gladys Maree Henry (1896-1987) and Paul Henrik Thorbjorn Thorlakson, she was educated at Tuxedo Park School and Gordon Bell High School, and received a BSc degree from the University of Manitoba (1948).
On 30 October 1948, she married George Taylor Richardson and they had four children, including Pamela Dale Richardson (1951-1980) and Karen Ann Richardson (1956-2013). She served as President of the Women’s Musical Club of Winnipeg (1971-1974), and Honorary Chairs of the International Conference on Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease and Kidney Foundation of Canada. She held positions on the boards for Balmoral Hall School, St. John’s Ravenscourt School, Mrs. James A. Richardson Foundation, and Paul H. T. Thorlakson Foundation. An active champion of arts and culture, she was instrumental in the development of the Winnipeg Art Gallery. She had a special interest in groups related to juvenile diabetes. Her autobiography Vignettes From My Life was published in 2020 with proceeds benefitting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
In recognition of her community service, she was selected as a Manitoba Women Trailblazer (2021) and was inducted into the Order of Canada (2004). She received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012), an honorary doctorate from the University of Manitoba (2012), an Outstanding Philanthropist Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals (Manitoba) in 2018, and a Gail Asper Award from Manitoba Opera (2020).
She died at Winnipeg on 13 April 2026.
“332 student veterans in graduate class boost total,” Winnipeg Free Press, 17 May 1948, page 6.
Obituary [Pamela Dale Richardson], Winnipeg Free Press, 6 March 1980, page 63.
Obituary [Karen Richardson], Winnipeg Free Press, 28 September 2013.
We thank Barb Perreaux for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 14 April 2026
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