RICHARD (RICK) HENRI JOSEPH GAUTHIER

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RICHARD (RICK) HENRI JOSEPH GAUTHIER With sadness, we announce the death of Rick Gauthier, husband of Jo-Ann and father of Daymond (Alana) and Malissa (Colin). Rick died at age 57 on February 17, 2006 at the Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg. Richard est né à Ross en 1948. Il a vécu sur une ferme laitière avec ses surs et ses frères, Claudette (Raymond) Savard, Claire (Ron) Surgenor, Luce (Levis) Malo, Marcel (Pat Gendreau), Estelle Froese, Yolande (Alan) Ranson, Solange (Norman) Nikkel, et Charles Gauthier. Durant ces années, il a acquis un amour pour la nature et a choisi une carrière comme garde forestier. Il fut précédé dans le deuil par ses parents Adrien et Marguerite Gauthier, un frère Jacques et une sur Marie. In 1972 at Flin Flon, Rick married the lovely Jo-Ann Higgs of Bowsman. Rick and Jo-Ann hosted and entertained many friends at wild meat suppers, Christmas Eve gatherings, and summer barbeques. They shared a love of travel, gardening, and raising their children. Rick instilled in his children a strong work ethic, independence, and a desire to succeed. His grandchildren, Rebeka, Travis, and Chase will miss boating, snowmobiling, and riding the quad with their doting Pepérè . In 2003, Rick retired as a Chief Natural Resource Officer at Thompson after 35 years of service. Colleagues respected his can-do attitude and profound knowledge of the Resource. He was an impassioned and skilled forest fire fighter and a pioneering operator of the heli-torch , used for combating the spread of forest fire. During retirement, Rick and Jo-Ann lived on a farm near Bowsman where they operated a summer market garden. Rick prided himself on finding choice wild mushrooms for supper, wildflowers for Jo-Ann, and blueberries for his grandchildren. He was a fiercely competitive sport angler of all fish which he skillfully transformed into feasts; we fondly recall his delicious fried pickerel, succulent barbequed lake trout, and smoked white fish. He reveled in the spring snow goose hunt at Churchill, the winter elk season at the Porcupines, and hunting deer at Clarkleigh and Gilbert Plains in autumn. On Christmas Day, Rick donned a Santa suit and handed out gifts to hospitalized children with members of the Thompson Shrine Club. We affectionately remember Rick through his boisterous laugh and kind smile. From Swan River, with the assistance of Father Rainerio Sarce, we remembered Rick at prayers held at the Chapel of Swan Valley Funeral Services and a funeral mass held at St. Columba Roman Catholic Church on February 23 and 24, 2006 respectively. Inurnment will follow at a later date. We thank all who attended these services.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Mar 08, 2006