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Richard (Dick) Albert Reitenbach was born on April 1st, 1950 in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. He started his life on the family farm near Yorkton and moved with his family to the City of Yorkton in 1956. Dick attended grade school in Yorkton. In 1970, Dick moved to Fernie, British Columbia to apprentice as an Instrumentation Technician. Dick moved to Vancouver and started working with Johnson Controls in 1975.
Dick started a manufacturer’s representative company named Equipco in 1982. The business gradually grew, and Dick and his two partners fostered that development. Dick’s vision and leadership were instrumental in growing the business across Western Canada until his retirement in 2010. His professionalism, technical knowledge, sense of humor, and sincere interest in people gained him respect throughout the industry. He looked forward to retirement, knowing that he was leaving Equipco in good hands.
The fact that Dick was an April Fool’s baby is serendipitous. He was the ultimate practical jokester. He always enjoyed hatching elaborate schemes to pull practical jokes on his many friends and family members. He loved getting others involved in his schemes to make sure the practical jokes were successful. Most were completely fooled until Dick would eventually let them off the hook.
Dick met Valerie Loeppky in 1993 through mutual friends and started a long-distance relationship. In May of 1997, Valerie moved to Port Coquitlam from Calgary to be with Dick. They enjoyed the luxuries of life that included, yachting on the Pacific West Coast, holidays overseas, cherished visits from family, and building an incredible group of friends and colleagues.
Dick was passionate about everything he did. He was what others would call a true “motorhead”. He owned fast cars, motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles, and boats – big and small, fast and sedate. His last boat, Aqua Miss, a 58-foot Canoe Cove Pilot House, was his pride and joy, and he enjoyed cruising the Gulf Islands, Desolation Sound, and the Broughtons with his wife Valerie. Aqua Miss was also the unofficial Equipco entertainment location for many industry friends.
Dick was hard working in business and always made time to call everyone to talk not only about the industry, but also to find out what was happening in their personal lives. He took great pride in getting up early in the morning, pouring a cup of coffee, and sitting in the hot tub overlooking the Fraser River while he made calls to customers and friends across the country. He loved splashing the water to make sure they knew where he was. Many of his business associates also became good friends that he remained very close with throughout the years.
Dick was also an incredibly passionate fisherman. Along with a group of friends, early in his work life, he started an annual fishing trip to the east coast of Vancouver Island, which they called The Westcoaster. That eventually grew to become an official annual event of Equipco and expanded to fishing lodges in the Queen Charlotte Islands.
Following his retirement, Dick and Valerie made the move to Alberta to be closer to family. Dick enjoyed precious time with new friends, time at his car condo called the Stash and many visits from family and lifetime friends.
Richard leaves to cherish his memory his loving wife Valerie (Loeppky) Reitenbach; his step-children Lisa (Warren) Bechthold and Greg (Linda) Nelson; step-grandchildren Taunie (Nathan) Magnuson and Colby (Kayla) Bechthold; and great-grandson Jaxx Magnuson. He is also survived by his sisters Sylvia (Donald) Ruf and Sharon (Harvey) Litvanyi, as well as sister-in-law Dorothy Reitenbach. He is also survived by his very special nephews and nieces: Cathy, Neil, Glenn, Bryan, Ronda, Cindy, Cherie, Bob, Lorne, Kim, Greg, Trisha, and their extended families.
Richard was preceded by his parents Albert and Catherine (Katie) Reitenbach, brother Robert (Bob) Reitenbach, sister Sybil deVries, brother-in-law Harry deVries, sister Shirley Forster, niece Violet (deVries) Sieferling, and nephews Gordon deVries and Kelly Reitenbach.
Dick passed away peacefully with family at his side on March 9, 2023 in the Fish Creek Manor in Calgary, Alberta. He was idolized and regarded as such a bright light by his family, bringing so much joy to those around him. His larger-than-life personality will be profoundly missed by his family and friends, and memories of him will be treasured in our hearts forever.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Young Life of Canada, the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada at www.alzheimer.ca, or a charity of your choice.
Arrangements in care of Snodgrass Funeral Homes Okotoks (403) 938-3111.
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April 1 1950
March 9 2023
Death notice for the town of: Okotoks, Province: Alberta
death notice Richard Dick Albert Reitenbach April 1 1950
March 9 2023
obituaries notice Richard Dick Albert Reitenbach April 1 1950
March 9 2023
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Richard Dick Albert Reitenbach April 1 1950
March 9 2023 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
