Mignon Kimmel Richmond was born in 1948 in Manhattan to a model and a scion of industry. Raised in the Jewish faith by her stepfather, in 1961 she became a bat mitzvah in a ceremony marking the transition to adulthood in that tradition — at the time, very unusual for girls. After a tumultuous childhood, Mignon became an emancipated minor in her early teenage years.

Now economically self-sufficient and considered legally competent to enter into contracts and to handle her own affairs, Mignon rented a small apartment and worked in Baumgart’s Restaurant in Englewood, NJ during high school. She put herself through Long Island University in three years and received a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Education, and attended Fairleigh Dickinson University, where she was granted a Masters of Arts degree in political science with honors.

She married Stanley Richmond in 1969 at the age of 20. They settled in Allendale, NJ, and remained together for 35 years, until her death. Stan’s parents took her in like a daughter; they celebrated Jewish and national holidays and other milestones and visited regularly in Bergen and Westchester Counties.

Mignon found her role in public life at the Xerox Corporation, where she worked for 31 years. Starting as a sales representative in 1973, she rose to the position of Executive Global Account Manager. She had a daughter, Simone, and son, Jordan, a few years later.

Mignon worked long hours and found fulfillment there. As such, she did not watch much television, although early dates with her husband-to-be consisted of watching “Mission: Impossible” in a small Brooklyn apartment. The exception in her mid-career period was “Masterpiece Theater” and its affiliated programs, which she would watch on Sunday night while ironing her blouses for work, the theme song from Mystery series punctuated by the soft hiss of the iron. She later added “Jeopardy,” the only program allowed during family dinner, for she believed the guesswork brought us closer.

Mignon had a laugh that made others want to laugh alongside her. She liked to unwind with a game of computer Solitaire or Tetris. She loved Stevie Wonder and Kenny G. Her favorite surface was gleaming white formica. Her favorite ice cream was mint chip. She was loyal to Tropicana orange juice, True brand cigarettes, and Velamints. Through the years, many said Mignon was the smartest person they ever met. Her mother-in-law, Clara, praised what she called Mignon’s “fair-mindedness,” for she was always open to new information. Her daughter contributes to Wikimedia Foundation in her honor.

In her early fifties Mignon enjoyed travels to Europe and Central America with her husband, Stan. This was toward the end of her life, though she did not know it would be the end. In 2004 she was diagnosed with breast cancer on the Jewish new year. Mignon passed away seven weeks later, on Thanksgiving. She is greatly missed, and lives on in the memories of all who loved and appreciated her.

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