Condolence: Jim and I have know Rick for over 34 years. Rick was one of the kindest and most compassionate person we have ever known. He was a loving uncle to our children who all loved him dearly. It was always such a happy time when Uncle Rick and Auntie Patricia came to visit. When they were little, the kids would pile themselves on him, all vying for his attention. As for Jim and I, we considered Rick as close as any brother as well as a kind and trusted friend. Rick will be missed by us all and we will cherish our memories of him and his gentle spirit for now and for always.

Condolence: I met Rick in the late 80's when I was working with Patricia and also lived in the west end. I had a high maintenance cat and while I was away, Rick and Patricia looked after Mugwump. When I returned, not only was Mugwump well taken care of, there was a poem Rick had written about him on little yellow post it notes.
It was after I got married and had children that I got to know Rick better. He and Patricia were like family to us and they shared special occasions as well as regular times.
Rick was lots of fun, playing silly games with the kids, coming in from the backyard looking like he wanted a shower, only to start a new round of inside games. He wasn't just fun though, he really wanted to know what the kids interests were and ensured mom and dad weren't putting too much pressure on them and they really did LIKE royal conservatory piano and rep hockey, or was that Harry Potter and skateboarding?
Rick was well read and had incredibly diverse musical taste. He liked to share music, books and movies and I'm sure he put great effort into choosing just the right ones. Sometimes they were selections we had never heard of or wouldn't have thought of, but there was something there he wanted to share and hoped we would appreciate. We usually did.
Rick had very good clothes although I think that may have been more Patricia's influence. Anyway, Rick was very generous, and Eric's best clothes are hand me downs from Rick.
He also had a soft spot for our dog, Katie. When Anneli and Geoffrey were little, they were always so excited about a visit from Rick and Patricia, that they would wait outside and go running up to greet them as their car pulled up. As the kids got older, while they were still very happy to see Rick and Patricia, the greetings became more subdued, and Katie did her best to fill this void. After the excitement of the greeting and some fun games in the backyard, she would sit quietly and contentedly with "her boyfriend".
Rick and I also shared a hearing loss and as my loss progressed and I was no longer able to join in lively group discussions, Rick always made an effort to spend some quiet time in the kitchen talking with me.
Rick was a rare, kind hearted, sensitive, gentle man and we loved him dearly and will always miss him.

Condolence: I remember …
I remember when I first met Rick. It was the first time I had visited the entire family. I was on display and being judged by every family member. Rick immediately made me feel welcome with his warn acceptance and friendly manner. I remember his gentle nature and his beautiful smile. I thought what a gentle soul he must be. I thought - how could such a mountain of a man be so gentle. Over the years, he never failed to reinforce these observations. The love he demonstrated for his beautiful wife, Patricia, was so obvious. It was as if he was a schoolboy in love with his first girlfriend. I remember, during a family event at Christmas one year, I had kissed my wife, Patricia’s sister, Michele. He mistakenly thought I had kissed Patricia. He later came to me and asked me, quite firmly, why I had kissed his wife. We both had a good laugh over that. I remember going with Rick and Patricia to an “all you can eat” sushi restaurant on Denman Street once. I think he was later barred from that restaurant because nobody ever made money from Rick at an “all you can eat” restaurant. I remember that Rick and Patricia came to our house for a visit once and Rick brought a gift of expensive chocolates for Michele. The next morning, to Michele’s surprise, half the chocolates were gone. She immediately blamed me but Rick came clean and admitted that he had eaten half the box of chocolates during the night after everyone had gone to sleep. I remember the love he demonstrated for Brian and Gela too. It was as if they were his parents. In many ways, I’m sure they were. He always seemed to be out for dinner with them or fixing computer problems or just visiting. I truly admired him for that. The same goes for Daniel, Maria, Michele and Michael. I know he loved each of them so much. I remember how all the kids in the family flocked to Uncle Rick at family events. He always had the time and energy to wrestle or talk or play games with the kids. Yet, Rick never sought the limelight. He always made the people around him feel that they were the most important. I remember his curious and inquisitive mind too. He could hold his own in any conversation on topics from politics to philosophy to science to music.
I remember he came to visit us one summer and spent most of his time scraping and painting our deck. This was not an easy task but he cheerfully threw himself into it and I was very thankful for his efforts.
Always a gentleman and an exceptional person in every way, he touched all our lives and our hearts in such a positive way. It would be true to say that the entire family loved Rick.
His memory will live on through Patricia and all the rest of us too. We will always remember Rick.

Condolence: Rick was a wonderful brother and friend to me and I love him dearly and will miss him greatly. He was a singular man who had great compassion for people and loved by all who knew him. I will always remember our times together, the great conversations we had as he was so well read and knowledgeable on so many subjects, and his great sense of humour.

I will miss you forever Rick.