Yet the strong man must go:
For the journey is done and the summit attained,
And the barriers fall,
Though a battle’s to fight ere the guerdon be gained,
The reward of it all.
I was ever a fighter, so—one fight more,
The best and the last! — Robert Browning
With great sadness the family of Mike Richardson announce the end of his last battle. Staying true to himself in his last days, with his characteristic strength and sense of humour, he died after a long and brave battle with cancer. Mike will leave behind a big hole in many lives.
Mike was Born in September, the youngest of six siblings. In high school, he earned a reputation for independence and mischief and (well before the Loverboy song) he lived the maxim “I gotta do it my way or no way at all.” Besides his unique antics from time to time, his way was eventually to complete his high school equivalency through the GED test, which then enabled him to move on with his career development. After a brief period as a real estate agent and several years as a competent and friendly Metro Vancouver bus driver, he applied and was accepted into the Fire Department, rising over the years to the rank of Battalion Chief.
Mike had a good heart for helping people, and he expressed it in actual deeds. This was especially true during his time with the fire department, when he was very active in charitable work, raising funds and awareness for various charitable causes. He also gave a lot of time, for many years, to coaching young soccer players
“Mikey”, as he was often called, retired from the Fire Department several years ago, but the friendships and the respect that he earned continued, as did his interests and most of his favourite pastimes. Mike enjoyed the outdoors – camping, fishing, and hunting; he loved to travel, making trips to numerous countries in Europe and Asia; and he pursued entrepreneurial ventures with a reusing/recycling theme, first in junk removal and salvage, and then in repair and resale of vehicles. Mike also played in the investment world, not always with success but always with delightful optimism. Above all, he was gregarious and took pleasure in conversation with friends (and often with complete strangers!), either on the phone (constantly!) or in person. A highlight of most weekends was a gathering of friends for morning coffee, which they called “Open Mike”. Needing, of course, to do it his way, he would pick up his favourite coffee at McDonald’s before joining his friends at Tim Horton’s!
A huge burden for Mike to bear was the tragic accidental death of his oldest son Gord at age 25. Sister Janet and her husband Bill also died before him, as did parents Philip and Eileen. Those left to mourn Mike’s passing include wife Barb, son Greg (Amanda), daughter Courtenay (Chris), grandchildren Rhett and Lainey, brothers Bruce (Almas) and Ken (Thea), sisters Marcia (Gerry) and Judi (Bill), and numerous nephews, nieces, and cousins, in Canada, England, and Australia.
Celebration of life to be held at a later date.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Philip Michael Richardson November 14th 2021..
Death notice for the town of: Aldergrove, Province: Colombie britanique