When Martyn Richardson took a job as a truck driver for the Coca-Cola Co. in the United Kingdom, he had a plan. With a background in marketing and graphic design, he knew there were ways he could put his talents to good use with the international beverage company.
“It was about getting his foot in the door,” said Charles Richardson, a son who lives in Atlanta. “He realized he had to start somewhere, and that was the opportunity that was offered.”
Mr. Richardson enjoyed 35 years with the company, his son said, before he retired in 1994 as a senior vice president of one of Coke’s international groups.
Martyn Cecil Lucien Richardson, of Atlanta, died Saturday at his home from complications of a stroke he’d suffered in December. He was 77. His body was cremated and a private memorial service was held Monday at H.M. Patterson & Son, Spring Hill, which was also in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Richardson was born in London and after finishing his secondary education, he served in the British Army for two years. Prior to joining Coke, Mr. Richardson worked in the sales, marketing or design departments of Smedley's British Fruits, The Illustrated London News and Procea Bread Ltd., his son said.
The year he started working for Coke, 1959, he also got married. He and his wife, Sally Richardson, would have been married 53 years in August.
Working for Coke, Mr. Richardson and his family experienced a world of opportunity. They lived in Tokyo, London and Rome, before moving to Atlanta, his wife said.
“He’d ask if I mind another move, but I always said I didn’t mind,” Mrs. Richardson said. “And I didn’t mind, because each move would help his career.”
Mr. Richardson’s first taste of Atlanta was in 1968, when he came for a 9-month management training program. The city made an unforgettable impression on him, and he’d always wanted to come back, his son said. It took 13 years, but Mr. Richardson made it back to Atlanta in 1981, but this time to stay.
“I think he found Atlanta very charismatic,” Mr. Richardson said, of his father. “Obviously it was a big change from living in Europe, but he loved the huge spaces and all that Atlanta had to offer.”
In his spare time, he enjoyed some of the simple things in life, Mrs. Richardson said. The two loved to fly-fish and ride around in the antique cars he purchased and sometimes restored.
“We just had a really good time together,” she said. “He was a really good man who took care of his family and showed us the world.”
In addition to his wife and son, Mr. Richardson is also survived by his daughter, Harriet Cornish of Zurich, Switzerland; and four grandchildren.
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