Obituary
Captain Peter Daniel Richards, 72 years old, passed away peacefully on November 20, 2019, at the Saint John Regional Hospital with his family at his side.
Born in Saint John on May 13, 1947, Peter was the son of the late Reginald and Rita (O’Brien) Richards.
He is survived by his wife of 49 years Valerie (Kneeland); his sons, Kevin (Amy), Mark (Farrah) and Sean Patrick, his daughter Karen Gonzalez (Dennis); his brothers, Douglas (Margaret) and Bruce (Valerie); his sisters, Lois Kneeland (John) and Jane Richards; his sister-in-law Sally Richards; his grandchildren, Robyn, Payton, Cole, Maya, Kate, Thomas, Emma and Kian; along with several cousins, nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother Tom Richards.
In Valerie, Peter found his partner, best friend and “Princess”. Quick witted as he was, Peter would be the first to tell you that Valerie was lucky to have found him, but he would also surely admit that he was blessed to have found her.
Peter proudly served as a firefighter with the Saint John Fire Department for 37 years. His true calling, however, was that of “Dad” to his children and “Papa” to his grandchildren. His love for them knew no bounds. His devotion to them was equally limitless. To his children, Peter was their provider, protector, teacher, home-builder, maintenance man, tool lender, grounds keeper and on-call problem solver. To his grandchildren, he was their cheerleader, chauffeur, dog sitter, rabbit feeder, fundraiser, hockey equipment fixer and on-call problem solver. To Peter, his children and grandchildren were simply his reason for being.
Peter liked boating, travelling and spending time at the “good old boys” hunting camp. But to Peter, what made those activities so special for him was the time shared doing those things with his loved ones.
While the family is profoundly saddened by Peter’s passing, they are comforted to know that what survives is a legacy of a life well-lived.
Resting at Fundy Funeral Home, 230 Westmorland Road (646-2424), with visiting from 2-4 and 6-8pm on Sunday. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00am on Monday, November 25, 2019 at St. Joseph’s Church. Interment will take place at St. Joseph’s Cemetery. Remembrances made to the Canadian Diabetes Association would be appreciated.
To send flowers to Peter’s family, please visit our floral section.
May 13 1947 November 20 2019 (age 72)
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Peter Daniel Richards May 13 1947 November 20 2019 (age 72)..
Décès pour la Ville: Saint-John, Province: Nouveau-Brunswick