Dick passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of November 30th. He was a very loving man to his family and friends, and a kindly old curmudgeon to all his Sooke acquaintances. He was certainly a One-of-a-Kind and will be sorely missed by many. He was a beloved husband, father, grand-father and great-grandfather and will leave a very big void in all our hearts.
Dick led a full and adventurous life. As a child he flew on the Graf Zeppelin between Brazil and the United States on a family vacation. On another, he crossed the Andes by mule. During the Second World War, he first drove an AFS ambulance in North Africa in support of Gen. Montgomery’s troops. He later joined the US Navy and was on a mine-sweeper for the rest of the war. Following the war, he completed his university education and later did mining work in Brazil, worked in Costa Rica establishing the macadamia nut industry, was one of the photo-interpreters hired to seek a location for Brazil’s new capital, Brasilia.
He moved to Canada permanently in 1969 and was a Geography professor at the University of Calgary until his retirement. In 1988, he and his wife moved to Sooke where Dick immediately joined the Sooke Marine Rescue Society and did regular shifts on the Spirit of Sooke. He was also well known for his Letters to the Editor, where he built up quite a band of followers.
I wish to thank Dr. Rabien, and everyone at Ayre Manor who made the last few months of his life so comfortable and enjoyable for both of us. A small get-together will be held on December 20, at 1:30, at Ayre Manor, in the Assisted Living Lounge, for friends who might want to drop in to share a story or two.