June 21, 1948 – July 23, 2014
Rick passed away at home surrounded by friends and family. He will be dearly missed by his wife Judith, daughter Kristin (Devin) of Cedar, brother Dan of Nanaimo, sister Wendy (Don) of Revelstoke, sister Sue (Terri) of Smithers, many nieces and nephews, coworkers and an abundance of good friends. His father, Edgar, and his mother, Linda, predeceased him.
Rick moved to Campbell River in 1967 with his family. Edgar, Dan and Rick owned and operated the Harbourview Esso until 1975. Rick went on to be a tradesman automotive mechanic. Rick spent 10 years as a volunteer firefighter before being hired as a career firefighter. He served proudly for another 26 years, retiring in 2006.
Rick lived his life to the fullest. He loved curling, skiing, hunting, playing ball, walking, biking and camping. He had several major health issues in the past 3 years and managed to surprise the medical community in his ability to claw his way back to a healthy and active lifestyle. He made the most of his retirement and put a lot of miles on the truck and trailer. He never gave up and was a true inspiration to his family and friends. Sadly the leukemia returned in June but despite this, he was determined to keep things positive and set the example for his family to follow. In his words, “I had a pretty good ride”.
Many thanks to Dr. Jon Walker, the palliative care Community Team, staff of 3 North, Dr. Narayanan of Vancouver General Hospital leukemia team. The support of the Campbell River Fire Fighters Local 1668, volunteers, and management has been above and beyond the call of duty. And finally, a heartfelt thanks goes out to the family and friends who supported him, Judith and Kristin throughout this battle.
There will be a celebration of life for Rick at 1:00pm on Friday, August 8, at the Campbell River Community Centre. In lieu of flowers please make any donations to Winch House in Vancouver, www.newchelsea.ca/veterans-first-responders-housing/