Obituary of Alfred Richards

Alfred V. Richards

1921-2023

Alfred Victor Richards was born in Kimberley, in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa, on May 24, 1921, to Thomas Harold Richards and Lilian (nee Wills). He grew up in Kimberley, a small diamond mining town in the semi-desert with 2 brothers. He had many fond memories of his early years and many stories to tell.

He moved with his wife, Muriel, and their 2-year-old son to Canada in 1953, sailing first to England and then on to Quebec City. After touring some of Quebec and Toronto Alfred found employment in St. Catherines Ontario. Their family grew, adding Wendy and then Christine. They lived in several communities in Ontario and Quebec, spending the most time in North York and then Oakville and Brockville. He was a devoted husband, married to Muriel for 76 years!

In South Africa Alfred had apprenticed and studied to achieve qualification in both Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. His career focused most in the mining sector with a variety of positions from Chief Engineer to Project Management.

He retired from full time work in 1985 but continued to consult on several projects until 1992.

He was highly intelligent, humble, soft spoken and had a dry sense of humour and quick wit. Friends describe him as a “true gentle-man”. In addition to his professional accomplishments, he excelled at tinkering with all things mechanical and built several wooden objects for his grandchildren. He had 5 grandchildren and, so far, 10 great grandchildren. He enjoyed tennis as a boy and young man, was an excellent swimmer and played golf in his later years. He had a private and commercial pilot’s license and enjoyed general aviation.

He documented a substantial amount of biographical data about his ancestors and autobiographical information as well. He kept a journal for decades and this record is a treasure to have.

We would like to thank all of the family and friends who have expressed their condolences; these are sincerely appreciated. For those who would like to contribute to a charity in his name, we ask that you consider the Victorian Order of Nurses who provided in-home care for both Alfred and Muriel over several years, allowing them to stay in their home environment much longer than they would have been able to without these professional, efficient and kind people. The website for donating is www.von.ca. There is a tab for donation and an opportunity to pay tribute to an individual there.