DICK BOON

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DICK BOON

Father and son working in harmony,passed away May 2013.
Ever lovingly remembered by his beloved wife, Frances; beloved son, Robert (co-worker on high buildings), and beloved daughter, Tammy (her inspirational trek down and up the Grand Canyon embodied the family love of heights, the canyon and climbing). At the time of his passing, we were working on a neon electrical sign museum, and already had a major donation of a neon spectacular sign from Sign Friends, and a 3 acre property for it. The family corporation, Inter City Neon Plastic Signs and Services was his pride and joy, working with his wife and son 24/7 for 25 years, plus daughter, Tammy, when available.
We travelled all over Manitoba, east to Thunder Bay and simultaneously had a customer base in Winnipeg. We had memberships in the Sign Association of Canada, National Electric Sign, International Sign Association NALMCO (lighting contractors), developing friends throughout North America. He installed major signs at Portage and Main, as well as maintenance of them and other high rise buildings in Winnipeg, Regina and Calgary. From 1989, we travelled to the GTA, annually in September, spending time with clients, suppliers and sign companies, and colleagues. We enjoyed and appreciated their friendship and support over the next 20 years and more, which led us to establish a second home close to the GTA lakeshore. He enjoyed his sign colleagues, or as he would call them, his "work brothers" and son, Robert, became a fellow work brother.
He loved the Lord and enjoyed attending with his family, a smaller church the last 5-6 years of his life and believed in doing special things for his community.
Our home was full of love, music, and laughter. Dick and our kids loved to sing and Robert and Tammy played several instruments between them including piano.
Robert had a high school rock band that he composed the music for and they practiced in our rec room regularly. Both Robert and Tammy had vocal lessons from Roy Petty when he returned to Winnipeg – having had his own TV show – he became a great friend to the four of us.
His favoured saying was "I've been everywhere, travelled each and every highway, flew in a helicopter beneath the rim of the magnificent Grand Canyon, white-water rafted in Alaska, hot air ballooned in Albuquerque, flew the Big Bird over Carpathian Mountains to visit three orphans we supported, rode horseback in the Black Hills, handling both his and his four year old daughter's reins, cruised the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Adriatic and Alaska, enjoyed the night life of Paris and other major cities," and favourite song was "Until Then I'll Go On Singing". Unfortunately, in September 2007, Dick had a medical emergency that affected the rest of his life.
His grandparents always said he had a heart of gold, a total gem. He was predeceased by his beloved mother, Jenny (nee Vandorp) Boon and eldest namesake brother in infancy. He loved to yodel at the top of the skyscrapers, a life much loved and well lived. He appreciated his friends and clients that supported him from the southeast part of the province and the Steinbach area for the last 25 years of his life.

As published in The Carillon on Aug 05, 2021