Richards died in Gardiner, Maine, at age 92, after a literary career spanning more than sixty years and over ninety published books.
Laura E. Richards died on January 14, 1943, in Gardiner, Maine, the town that had been her home for most of her adult life and the setting for much of her literary and civic work. She was 92 years old at the time of her death.
Her passing marked the end of a literary career that had spanned more than six decades, during which she authored over ninety books encompassing children's fiction, nonsense poetry, biography, and adult novels. She was widely recognized as a pioneering figure in American children's literature, particularly celebrated for helping establish nonsense verse as a beloved genre for young readers in the United States.
Beyond her writing, Richards had been an active community figure in Gardiner, engaging in civic and social welfare work alongside her husband, Henry Richards. Her legacy endured through her Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of her mother, Julia Ward Howe, and through generations of children who grew up on her whimsical verses and stories.
Following her death, Richards continued to be remembered as a foundational voice in American children's literature, with her works remaining in print and studied for their historical importance in shaping the genre. Her life bridged the reform-minded nineteenth century of her parents and the modern literary landscape of the early twentieth century, leaving a lasting imprint on both American letters and children's culture.