Dear Circles for Reconciliation Friends:
We at CFR would like to remember and honor my dear friend and team member who was much more than just a coworker to us. Rick was our writer, editor for many stories and photographer at many of our events. It is with a heavy heart and immense gratitude that we reflect on the time we were privileged to spend with him.
Rick joined our organization in late 2021 after the passing of his significant other Suzanne Tom. Here is where we reconnected as friends and he agreed to join us in our reconciliation efforts as a residential school survivor. Rick was an award-winning journalist and writer. Bringing not only his remarkable skills and expertise but also a sense of humor and resiliency from being in the residential school system for many years along with his siblings. He shared some of his stories and pictures from his tender young years. From the start, he researched local and national stories for our “Did you Know” section on our website.
One of the most enduring memories many of us will have of Rick is at the National Truth and Reconciliation Day March/Walk (2023). Here is where one of the partners, Bonnie Loewen kept finding him taking pictures of the crowd and she took pictures of Rick and sent them back to us. Guess he was looking for us and couldn’t find us to take pictures of our staff in the march? What a lot of people may not know, that Rick had a keen sense of humor. He was an excellent joke teller. He had a unique ability to lighten the mood, find humor in the challenges we faced, and remind us not to take ourselves too seriously.
His dedication to his role was evident in every project and task he undertook. He was creative, innovative, and always willing to go the extra mile to ensure the job was not just done, but done with heart. He compiled the 2023 CFR Newsletter and took most of the pictures of others (when he couldn’t find us).
Beyond the virtual walls, Rick did a lot of his work at night. We would be all be sleeping and he would be researching, writing and doing his best to use the newest technology, not really.
As a residential school survivor, he showed us the true meaning of courage and grace. Despite many challenging memories, he remained positive, strong, and, ever true to himself. Always, keeping his sense of humor. His resilience in those difficult times was a lesson in itself, teaching us all about the strength of the human spirit.
As we bid farewell to Rick, let us cherish the memories, the laughter, and the wisdom he shared with us. Let us honor his legacy by embodying the values he lived by – excellence in his work, compassion towards others, humour and a never-ending pursuit of personal, educational and professional growth.
To Rick our friend and CFR Staff Member, thank you for the indelible mark you have left on our lives and our hearts. Your memory will continue to inspire us, and your legacy will live on in the work we do and the way we do it.
Rest in peace, you will be profoundly missed, but never forgotten.
Thank you
April 2024