Richard was born in Rock Bay, BC August 2, 1944, and passed away peacefully on November 4, 2022 at the Royal Jubilee Hospital, Victoria, BC with his children by his side. He was predeceased by his parents Tony and Florence Roberts, and Barbara, his wife of 55 years. He is survived by his children Hilary and Michael (Melanie), sisters Margaret (Dan) and Charlotte, and brother David (Nadine), and his grandsons Owen and Josh. Richard was also a great grandson of Stephen and Jane Cook of the ‘Namgis First Nations of Alert Bay.
Richard grew up in Esquimalt and attended St. Michael’s Prep School where he was Head Boy in Grade 9. He was awarded scholarships to attend Ridley College in St Catharines, Ontario. He received his BA (Honours) from the University of Victoria and his Master Degree in Economics from the University of British Columbia. While at the University of Victoria, Richard joined the University Naval Training Division later transferring to HMCS Discovery in Vancouver. He retired as a Lieutenant in 1974.
Richard and Barbara started their married life in North Vancouver in 1967 before moving to Ottawa where Richard joined the Department of Fisheries. Over the course of his career, he was involved in several major policy initiatives including the extension of fisheries jurisdiction to 200 miles (1977) and amendments to the Fisheries Act (1991). Richard retired from Fisheries and Oceans in 1996, and he and Barbara fulfilled their dream of returning to Victoria. They especially enjoyed their many sailboat trips to the beautiful islands and inlets along the south coast of BC, and sharing these trips with friends and family.
In 2010 Richard was appointed as a member to the Employment and Assistance Appeal Tribunal of BC. During his 11-year tenure, he participated in over 500 appeals, 300 of those as panel chair.
Richard was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He was a keen family sports fan, coach and cheerleader! He especially enjoyed summer visits by his grandsons, where he perfected his hidden talent for making ice cream. Richard had been competitive in correspondence chess as a teenager and became an avid online chess player in his retirement.
The family would like to thank the friendly staff of Somerset House retirement home, and the staff at the Royal Jubilee Hospital for their compassionate care of Richard in his final days.
No service by request. In lieu of flowers, donations in Richard’s memory can be made to the Cancer Society of BC with thanks at bccancerfoundation.com/ways-to-give/give-in-memory-honour-or-celebration/
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
at www.mccallgardens.com
Peggy Allewell
Our loss is Heaven’s gain. Our hope in faith…is to see our loved ones again. This I believe. May your memories always bless your heart♥️ fondly…peggy
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Richard Frederick Anthony Roberts 1944 2022..
mccall gardens funeral and cremation service
Death notice for the town of: Victoria, Province: Colombie britanique