Richard grew up in Kamloops, BC as one of 8 siblings. If his parents were still alive today, they would have had 41 grandkids and 61 great grandchildren. Their family holidays were so large, one year they even had to rent a hall for Christmas dinner!
Richard and his spouse, Valerie, became friends at 12 years old and will celebrate their 56th wedding anniversary in February of this year. In 2011, they moved to SCSH as snowbirds and they summer in BC. They have a daughter and son with five grandchildren. Richard is a member of the Mens Golf Club, Tutta Bella and Tuesday Night Putters. Together they enjoy golfing, camping in their 5th wheel and traveling all over the world.
Richard loves change. In the past If he was not starting a new project, he was building or renovating a home or buying a new car. Since the age of 12, he developed a passion for cars, sports and luxury brands. His favorite was a Porsche 911. Loved it so much he had four in succession! Boating is another passion. One of their most interesting experiences was helping some friends transport a sailboat from Greece to Turkey. You’ll have to ask Richard about this memorable adventure.
Richard joined his Father’s Mechanical Construction Company, managing and owning it for 45 years. The business was Commercial and Industrial dealing with ventilation, plumbing and fire protection. He is still involved doing the financial monitoring and forecasts with his son who is the third generation to take over the company.
As Richard says, “Being in the construction business always had me looking to improve whatever I had”. As you can see, he was always looking for something new….. a project, a challenge. Change was always good for him.
Written by Barb Thomas, Information Advisory Committee