February 3, 1934 - January 27, 2022
Richard passed away in Surrey, British Columbia on January 27, 2022, one week before his 88th birthday, with his wife Eileen at his side.
He was born on February 3, 1934 in Streatham, England, the only child of Ernest and Winifred (nee Wheeler). Allan, as he was known to friends and family in England, was an adventurous spirit who found humour and fun in all things, even in his childhood wartime experiences of sleeping in a bomb shelter and being evacuated to Cornwall. After finishing at Battersea Grammar School at age sixteen, he wanted a job that would take him abroad and went to work at the Royal Bank of Canada in London, their youngest hire ever.
At 20, he was sent to Port of Spain, Trinidad, and began a lifetime of adventure in Latin America and the Caribbean, abiding fully by the maxim "work hard play hard". Parties, jazz concerts, and card and dice games (several of his own invention), were favourite pastimes.
In Bogota in 1960, he was introduced over a bridge table to the newly arrived secretary at the Canadian Embassy, who would become not just his bridge partner but his life partner too. Dick (as he was known after leaving England) and Eileen were married on July 22, 1961. With children Tim and Patricia, they would go on to live in Montreal, Trinidad and Argentina. He was later appointed as RBC's Regional Manager in Barbados, and then completed his banking career in Colombia.
In retirement, Richard and Eileen loved to welcome extended family and many new friends (even ones that didn't play bridge!) to their lovely home in Amble Greene, Surrey BC. When grandchildren arrived, he loved nothing better than to hunt for toys in his weekly garage sale tours. He put his carpentry skills and ability to fix anything to use for the local Cancer Society and was active in local clubs and committees. He leaves a legacy of generosity of spirit and happiness that he shared with family and his many friends around the world. He kept his legendary sense of humour to the end.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Eileen, his children Tim (Marcela Mancilla Fuller) and Patricia (George Dix), and his grandchildren, Veronica, Richard, Daniel and Kelin. The family wishes to thank the staff at Suncrest Retirement Village for the attentive care they gave Richard in his last year of life.
Memories may be shared at myalternatives.ca/white-rock/obituaries
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