Ronald James Rickards

Ron died in the Victoria Hospice on Sept. 15, 2021 at age 92 after a long struggle with pulmonary fibrosis and heart failure. He was the son of Jim and Flo Rickards of London, England where he lived and worked until his retirement when he moved to Herne Bay, Kent with his first wife, Irene (Rene), Ron was in the Parachute Regiment of the British Army and was in Palestine in 1948 when it became Israel. His working life was in the aircraft industry and he was involved in the building of the Concord for British Airways. Ron's first wife, Irene died in 1993. He travelled widely in retirement, and on a trip to Egypt in 1996 he met Alexandra (Alex) Lefoley on a Nile river cruise, a Canadian from Toronto, Ontario. Ron and Alex were married in 1999 and settled in Toronto until her retirement in 2006 when they moved to Victoria, B.C. Ron is survived by Alex, his son, Paul of Folkestone, England, his daughter, Sharon Denney of Evesham, England, his brother, Denis in Chelmsford, England, 4 grand-sons and 6 great-grand-children in England and the U.S. The family would like to express deepest gratitude to the exceptional doctors, nurses and care-givers at the Royal Jubilee Hospital and Victoria Hospice who gave Ron the best of care in his final weeks. There will be no service, but a donation in Ron's memory to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Victoria, #106-1001 Cloverdale Avenue, Victoria, B.C., V8X 4C9, or Victoria Hospice, 1952 Bay Street, Victoria, B.C., V8R 1J8 would be appreciated by the family.