Richard Clifford Flesher passed away peacefully October 16, 2021, at the age of 79. He was born October 16, 1942, in Edmonton, Alberta as one of twin sons to Kenneth and Florence Flesher. He was raised in the Edmonton area along with siblings Dave (spouse, Arlene), Terry (spouse, Brian Hetchler) and Bonnie Flesher. He was predeceased by his sister Penny and her spouse, Lorne Millar.
He is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Margaret (Peggy) Flesher and three daughters, Jodi (spouse, Allan Green), Daneen (spouse, Kevin Scott) and Marly (spouse, Michael Anderson). Also, by three adoring grandchildren, Carson Green (spouse, Shelby Green), Tyson Green and Madalynn Anderson. Rick was also recently asked to be the Guardian Angel of Henry Winkler’s (The Fonz’s) new granddaughter, Francis.
Rick lived a very full life. As a young man he headed north, working on the dew line in the Arctic Circle during the Cuban Missel Crisis. He followed in the family footsteps becoming a plumber and working in the field for several years before flexing his entrepreneurial muscles and starting a mechanical business with his brother and good friend. His skills lead him to joining NAIT where he quickly moved into management and spent the last 17 years of his career as Manager of the Facilities Maintenance department.
Rick loved the outdoors and his annual hunting trips with Tuck and his brother Dave were the stuff of legends. For many years those hunts fed Rick’s family over the winter and later he was taken to spending his hunting trips simply enjoying nature. His love of the outdoors was also seen in the places Rick lived including, the acreage where he raised his children and grew a huge garden every year and their home on Vancouver Island where they loved to walk and spend time by the ocean. Rick and Peggy spent 15 years on Lake Wabamun where he fished and golfed daily. Those years were split between the cabin and the desert in Arizona. Rick and Peggy would walk in the desert for miles daily and his days were full of golfing, riding his quad, street bike and making friends.
A natural athlete, Rick was an accomplished slalom water skier, a certified scuba diver and he learned to downhill ski at the tender age of 50. He was also a skilled horseman and enjoyed this hobby for years with his daughters.
Rick’s love of the outdoors was only surpassed by his passion for motorsports. Over the years Rick raced snowmobiles, dirt bikes and drag racing cars – pretty much anything with a motor. He also collected and restored several classic cars. He and Peggy crisscrossed the US repeatedly on their Honda Goldwing and in their many RVs. He found his true passion when he got involved in Sprint Car racing. He spent years working on his son in law and grandson’s race teams and then later as the flag man for the mini sprints and the Tech Director for 360 and Sportsman sprints at Castrol Raceway, Rimbey Speedway and Electric City Raceway in Great Falls, Montana.
On Nov 2, 1963, Rick married the love of his life, Peggy. He often said he fell in love with her the first time that he saw her and that he loved her every day since.
Needless to say, Rick (also called Bumpa by those who knew and loved him) lived a very full life and told us that with the exception of not seeing the pyramids, he had done everything he wanted to do and had no regrets.
To those who knew him, he could do anything and always saw the glass as half full. The strength of his heart, mind and soul was and is a constant source of strength. Mounting health issues, meant early retirement, but didn’t slow him down much. As he would say ‘we didn’t write the book, we just get to turn the pages.’
His family is incredibly proud of him. A man of honor, hard work and integrity with a consistently positive attitude. He was ‘sunshine wearing shoes’.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for donations to be made in his name to Santa’s Anonymous, a charity he was part of founding along with his friends in the Escorts Car Club.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of FLESHER Richard Clifford October 16 2021..
Death notice for the town of: Edmonton, Province: Alberta