Victoria "Vickie" Richmond

Victoria “Vickie” Sue Richmond (Waetzig), was born August 25, 1964 in Topeka, KS to Margaret “Peggy” (Young) Waetzig Chittenden and James “Burr” Robert Waetzig Jr. of Carbondale. She graduated from Topeka High School.

Vickie is survived by her spouse, Jimmy A. Belshe of Topeka; children, Christopher Michael Richmond and his wife Charla Marie Thomas, and Nicole Victoria Richmond and her husband Zachary David Fletcher; three blended children, Melanie A. Belshe and her husband Jon Nicort of Fairbanks, Alaska, Jamie A. Belshe, James Henry Belshe and his wife Taelor Nicole Belshe; seven grand babies, Max, Charlie, Alexander (Xander), Ava, Abigail, Jon Jr, and Aubree; and her brother, James Robert "Robbie" Waetzig III.

She worked at 501 Food Services for nearly 30 years. Vickie worked schools all around Topeka, including; Jardine Middle School, Chase Middle School, and she would have been finishing 16 years at Williams Magnet School this August. It was a great joy to her when adults would come up to her in public and say “Were you my lunch lady?” She was very well known and loved by the community.

Vickie was so much more than her career, however, she was a fantastic mother who prided herself on caring for others, no matter what. She always made sure her children and grandchildren were taken care of before herself and would do whatever necessary to protect those she loved. Even the children at school that she cared for, if there was a child who could not afford lunch, she would pay with her own money. That was the type of person she was. Always compassionate.

Vickie did not judge or boast, and she was always welcoming to anyone and everyone. She had a knack of caring for people. Even people she did not know. She was beyond generous and kind, always giving and never asking for anything in return. She was a true example of how a person should be.

Vickie enjoyed spending every possible minute with her grand babies and children. She also loved traveling to the beach and Branson, especially with her wonderful spouse, Jim, with whom she spent 26 years.

Please join us as we celebrate the life of our beloved Vickie.

Wednesday, July 1, 2026 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Shawnee Lake Shelter House 3410 SE Leisure Ln. Topeka, KS 66605.

We invite everyone to come together to remember and honor Vickie. If you're able, please bring a favorite or funny memory to share. We know it may be emotional, but we'd love to fill the evening with stories, laughter, and love as we celebrate the wonderful woman, friend, mother, and person she was.

We hope you'll join us as we celebrate a life that touched so many hearts.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to a cause close to Vickie's heart, the Kansas Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 712 Kansas Ave, Suite 414 D-F, Topeka, KS 66603.

In Vickie’s own words from 2014;

Life should be an adventure not just an existence of being.

To travel, even if only in your own backyard, so to speak. Enjoy the beauty life has to offer.

See things, do things, learn everything you can, learn about yourself, your heart, life, love, living to the fullest.

Once I am gone, you are to look back and remember the good, the good life I tried to achieve, the good love in my life, the things I’ve seen, the places I’ve been, the love I’ve shared.

I believe life is a learning adventure of the soul. Therefore, always learn, love, and have adventures. Never stop looking forward and only look back to learn or remember love fondly.

Do not allow yourself to be stuck in sorrow. Death is a part of life, I don’t believe it is the end, only a transition onwards. We will all be gone someday, and we’ll all lose our parents someday. Yet the love will remain, and the world will keep spinning, and so should you.

If you stay sad, and don’t move on, then I haven’t done a good job of making you a whole, well rounded person.

To enjoy life you must learn, love, and learn some more. Listen to what others believe, sometimes it’ll make sense, sometimes not. That’s ok it’s still a lovely adventure.

V.R. 2014