Maureen Rose Richard

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Richard, Maureen Rose tattoo artist and lover of nature, both real and fantastical, died unexpectedly at work on Sunday, August 13, 2017, of an aortic aneurysm. She was 31. Maureen (known to friends and family as Mo) was born on Oct. 7, 1985, in Minneapolis. From the time she could hold a crayon, she sketched whenever she had a free moment, often with her niece and nephews, whom she nannied, looking over her shoulder or sitting in her lap. Tattoo art became her passion in high school, somewhat to her mother's good-natured chagrin. One of her earliest tattoos depicts the state of Minnesota with the Spanish phrase tierra natal, meaning home state, done on a study-abroad trip to Argentina. But her favorite was done by her amateur, one-time-only tattoo artist husband, a baphomet with the accompanying text "for fun."Fascinated by mystical and occult creatures and animals, often depicted in her artwork, Mo was universally loved by co-workers at Jackalope Tattoo, friends, family, animals and children who remember her as "sweet," "good," a feminist who marched in the Women's March in Washington, D.C., a fairy with an ever-present, tinkling laugh. She nurtured rare flowers and heirloom vegetables in her garden in her south Minneapolis home, which she and Sam shared with a cat, dog and a tortoise named Duna. When she died, she had been designing and illustrating her own deck of tarot cards, with regal animals, resplendent flowers and brilliant colors. Her friends plan on completing the deck. She is survived by husband Sam Richard, parents Thomas and Mary Elliott, sisters Meghan Elliott (David Eldred) and Katie Rockvam (B Andrew), nieces and nephews Maxwell Savage, Henry and Lillian Eldred. She graduated from Westonka High School in 2004, and earned her B.A. in fine arts from the University of Minnesota in 2008. A memorial service will be held Friday, August 18, at 2 p.m. at Lakewood Cemetery Chapel, 3600 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis. A celebration of her life will follow from 4 to 5:30 p.m. (and beyond in the tap room) at Lake Monster Brewery, 550 Vandalia St. #160, St. Paul. In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to Family Tree Clinic in St. Paul.

Published on August 17, 2017