Richard Walter Spence

Richard Spence, 82, born 1939 in North Vancouver, British Columbia, passed away on March 10, 2021. He lived in Burnaby for high school and much of his life and lived in Sechelt for the last few decades.

He had an amazing life and was the best husband, father, grandfather, coach, teammate, volunteer and friend. Richard was described by all who met him as a kind, helpful and gentle man. He knew how to take it easy and believed in the power of positive thinking. He had a great laugh and a big heart.

Just some of his many activities included soccer, tennis, golf, skiing, SCUBA diving, flying airplanes, parachuting, coaching sports, hanging out with Ye Olde Poker Bunch, volunteering at the South Burnaby Men’s Club and Habitat for Humanities, and spending time with his family and friends while travelling or playing cards. If eating ice cream was a sport, he would have been a Canadian grand master.

As an avid traveller, he honeymooned in Banff, flew with his best friend to Alaska, stayed on a remote island in Fiji, travelled by RV in Australia, rafted down the Snake River, skied at Sunshine Village, cruised through Panama, went horseback riding in Montana, hit the beach in Maui, played tennis in Palm Springs, camped in Porteau Cove, waterskied at St. Ives at Shuswap, and drank wine in France, among other destinations.

Being a serial entrepreneur, Richard owned or partnered in a log brokerage business, a restaurant, mining equipment salvage operations, sporting goods equipment retailer and wholesaler, horse racing, commercial building rental, and warehouse rental. He retired early and moved to a simpler life in Sechelt where he bought tennis shoes in bulk and went to the pub on weekends for eggs benedict. 

Richard had Alzheimer's disease. The last few years of his life provided quirky stories of lost keys and a strong desire to start a beachcombing operation.

He is missed by his wife Andrea Lee and his children Warren, Mark, Susan and Ross and their families, including Debbie, Ryan, Megan, Emily, Anita, Rachel, Ashley, Tony, Paris, Kje, Isabelle, Savannah, Hugo, Duke, Sharon, Shauneen, and Ryan.

Donations can be provided to Habitat for Humanities in Sechelt or the Alzheimer Society of B.C.

“Can I get you a drink?” was a common phrase for welcoming visitors. Please raise a glass (rum and Pepsi or hot chocolate preferred) and toast to Richard, cheers.

To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Richard Walter Spence, please visit our Tree Store.