Roy Arthur Richford

Roy Arthur Richford was born on May 20, 1934, to parents Willis Arthur Richford and Agnes Ena Turner in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Willis and Ena made the journey on the train from their home in Kinistano, SK in preparation of Roy’s arrival. Willis was a homesteader and then turned to teaching.

Roy was raised in small towns across Saskatchewan as the family moved with teaching positions. He lived on the James Smith Indian Reservation near Fort a La Corne, SK where his father taught at a day school. They also lived in Chelan and Preeceville. In 1953, Roy won an essay contest about the Port of Churchill which included a trip to England. As a teenager, Roy enjoyed working for the Preeceville ‘druggist’ and planned to be a pharmacist but graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1958. He maintained lifelong friends from those years in Saskatoon, Winnipeg, and Edmonton.

He met Hilde Wagner at a youth group while washing dishes and he proposed on the grounds of the Bessborough Hotel in Saskatoon. They were married on May 3, 1958, in Regina and settled in Winnipeg where Roy began his 35-year career with CN Rail. Their first daughter, Suzanne Elizabeth was born in 1962 in Edmonton, AB. The family spent 6 months in Montreal prior to Carole Maria’s birth in 1966 back in Edmonton.

The family enjoyed life in Edmonton and Roy participated in community events. He would be seen cross-country skiing in winter and biking in the summer. Many holidays were spent visiting family in Saskatchewan, camping in BC and the infamous 1977 trip to England and Europe where Roy saw it all through the lens of his camera.

Roy’s eldest daughter, Suzanne, lives in St. Albert, Alberta with her husband, Andy Dey. She has two children: Curtis and Lauren Frederick. Curtis lives in Calgary and Lauren lives in North Vancouver with her husband, Andrew Bateman.

Roy’s younger daughter, Carole, lives in North Vancouver with her husband, Greg McKenzie. They have two sons: Aaron and Jacob McKenzie. Aaron lives in North Vancouver and Jacob currently lives in Canberra Australia with his partner, Zoe Woods.

Roy, Hilde, and Carole moved to North Vancouver in 1984 due to Roy’s promotion with CN Rail. Roy and Hilde enjoyed happy years in BC which included travel. Unfortunately, Hilde was diagnosed with metastatic cancer in 1993 and died in February 1994. Roy took early retirement to care for her. Following this loss, he found great support from family and friends. He built a new life with partner, Jean Field and moved permanently to Victoria in 1995. They travelled extensively to most parts of the world, engaged in the community, and enjoyed many dinners and evenings with friends. Jean died suddenly in 2015 from complications during cardiac surgery.

Roy then found his third life partner, Helen Gillespie. These two were madly in love from the start to the end. They enjoyed each other’s company, complimented each other’s strengths, and never stopped laughing. The two families felt fortunate that Roy and Helen had each other, especially during the relative isolation of the pandemic.

Roy always took exceptionally good care of himself and was proud of his “fortune of good health” up until his diagnosis of cancer a few months before he passed. Although we all thought that he would live to celebrate a hundred years, that was not meant to be. However, Roy inspired us to be the best we can be. He was kind, thoughtful, curious, and energetic. He enjoyed the company of friends and family. He took excellent care of his parents and included them on many holidays. He valued “family roots” and taught his children and grandchildren the same. He was frequently heard to say, “you can’t beat the genes” and we are grateful to share those genes with such a wonderful man. Friends will miss his annual Christmas letter.

Living by ethics and principles while maintaining a cheerful outlook got him through life’s hurdles. Although difficult to say good-bye, we will continue to celebrate a life very well lived. Our father, grandfather, partner, and friend will be greatly missed as he was loved and loved us back. We were truly fortunate to have Roy Richford in our lives.