RICHARD DELMAR DAVIES

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RICHARD DELMAR DAVIES

It is with the utmost sorrow and heavy hearts that the family of Richard Davies announces the passing of our beloved husband, father, and grandpa at age 74 on July 29, 2024 in Edmonton.

Richard is survived and will be greatly missed by the true love of his life, wife Karen of 53 years, as well as his daughter Heather (Jason), son Scott (Jessica), and grandsons Benjamin and Caleb. An only child, he was predeceased by his parents, Rosalie and Vernon Delmar Davies, and in-laws Clifford and Vera Reade.

Rick, as he was first and formerly known, was born and lived his first 20 years in Winnipeg, before moving to Alberta in 1971. He studied at the Universities of Winnipeg and Alberta, finishing with a B.A. and two graduate education diplomas, double-majoring in English and History.

Richard taught senior high school English for 30 years and actively pursued music on the side as a singer-guitarist-songwriter-group leader playing for thousands from the late 1960s through 2003. His main professional focuses, until early retirement in 2002, were as a reader, writer, teacher, presenter, and thinker. Richard estimated that, although he had taught several thousand students, he had also influenced the same number of teachers via conference presentations, and about five million students through his nationally-known textbook work (over a million sold of 60+ texts and guides) and estimated repeated usage. Because his books were authorized in every province, it was possible for him to talk to teenagers and young adults anywhere in Canada to find out which of his books they had encountered – a quirky fact he enjoyed and took pride in.

Richard wrote poetry since the 1980s, judged poetry contests, won several prizes, had over 100 poems published on both sides of the border, and was part of a local poetry trio, Spiritus, for a decade, culminating in a 2001 solo chapbook Negative Capability.

More personally speaking, his preferred, chosen favourites included family, dogs, language and its possibilities, listening to music of all kinds (old rock and folk, jazz, classical), playing music with others, writing and creating, reading literature and poetry, exploring the past via travel and antique or collectible shows, studying history and collecting old books, going to plays and concerts of favourite performers and music, watching good movies, presenting at teacher conferences, walking, leisurely bike riding, feeding birds and squirrels at his home and in Edmonton parks, gardening, and generally amusing or entertaining others with his talk, writing, and performing.

Ultimately, Richard felt lucky his life had been more than full, enriched, complete, and fulfilled, indeed. He lived his life-motto, borrowed from Emily Dickinson: “I dwell in possibility”. Most of all, he remained staunchly proudest of his family and each family member’s truly strong, positive characters and unique lives and life-possibilities.

For more information and insight about Richard, see his consciousness blog http://Tothineownselfbetrue.ca featuring meditations, poems, and musings on current events.

A Celebration of Richard will be held at Hainstock’s Funeral Home and Crematorium (9810-34 Ave NW) in Edmonton, Alberta on Thursday, August 22, 2024 at 10:00 a.m.

Donations may be made in Richard’s memory to the local S.P.C.A. or Salvation Army.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Aug 17, 2024, Aug 17, 2024