Grant Richey as Martini with his partner Olive (Judy Heneghan). (photo by Tom Wallace, Star Tribune)

By Graydon Royce

People from the many and varied threads of Grant Richey's life gathered Monday at the History Theatre in St. Paul to memorialize a man who was a zany, passionate, creative and smart perfectionist.

"It was clear that everyone knew the same Grant, even though your point of entry into his life may have been really different," said Wendy Knox, Frank Theatre director and a longtime friend of the actor, who died Thanksgiving Day.
Knox said "tears were very close to the surface" as colleagues told spoke of their old friend.

Richey was represented by a sunflower (Kansas), a corn stalk, a piece of orange Fiestaware (his favorite color) and a cookie jar that held his ashes.

Nearly a third of the 500 celebrants of Richey's life were students from North St. Paul High School, where he had directed for more than 10 years. A large quilt made of T-shirts from the various shows was displayed (he had warmed his lap in the last few weeks with the quilt) and a petition drive was announced to rename the school auditorium for Richey.

Recently, Richey was perhaps most widely known for his annual "Martini & Olive" Christmas show but his roots extended deeply into commercial work, industrial and commercial films, serious theater, comedy and musicals. Knox is right about his perfectionist streak. In 10 years of watching him, I never saw a bad performance.