(l-r) Lynn Pierotti, Brooklyn, Swan Richards and Ellie Gray Smith - James Island Charter High School News Editor
Swan Richards, longtime graphic designer at Lucky Dog Publishing, died Tuesday night, July 15, after a short battle with cancer.
Richards joined The Island Eye News 17 years ago as the company’s first intern from Trident Technical College after deciding to change careers later in life — and she never left. She became the company’s longest-tenured employee and loved the work we did.
Richards moved to Costa Rica and later to Panama a few years ago to pursue her dream of starting a dog sanctuary and providing spaying and neutering services for the street dogs she encountered. She continued to design The Island Eye News and The Island Connection remotely, often dashing from her home to coffee shops and internet cafés to stay connected.
She regularly donated her services to causes she believed in. She never charged charities, churches, environmental groups or animal advocates for building ads or designing logos. She also mentored students at James Island Charter High School when they started their own newspaper, spending long hours teaching them how to design and operate a small publication — often doing the layout work herself until they were up to speed.
Richards will be missed by her friends in the Charleston area and by all those she touched. I will miss her candidness when necessary and her unwavering support during challenging times. I will miss our weekly phone calls, when I’d hear dogs barking and monkeys screaming in the background, knowing she was in her happiest place.
Lucky Dog Publishing will make our next donation to the Charleston Animal Society in her name.