Farewelled by family and friends in a private celebration last Saturday, Richard and his wife Robyn had moved to Wanaka a few years ago, where he fought an inspiringly brave battle against cancer, only to succumb to a rare blood disorder.
Brought up in Invercargill, he joined the Air Training Corps at 13 and gained a private pilot’s licence at 16.
In 1975 he was New Zealand aerobatic champion, and placed third in ’76 and ’77.
After working for Europa Oil as a company rep, he and Robyn, whom he’d married in 1980, moved to the Whakatipu in 1982 to manage BP Remarkable Motors.
For their first 11 years, they and children Sarah, Braden and Ryan lived in Arrowtown where he wason the autumn festival committee and even appeared in a few shows, before moving to Queenstown.
Between times he’d gone on to manage two Mobil sites before leasing the newish Caltex station in 1992 — he and Robyn later bought it freehold.
Robyn says he helped out so many people in the background.
"I remember one woman on the forecourt who needed to take her child to Invercargill for treatment.
"She said, ‘I just don’t know how I’m going to fill this car up’, so he just filled it up and and away she went.
"His staff he treated as family, too."
After he died, three carloads of former staff went to Wanaka to pay their respects.
Richard was a volunteer fire policeman with the Queenstown brigade for 15 years and president of the Wakatipu Aero Club for a spell.
In 2012 he renewed his private pilot’s licence and bought a Cessna with another pilot.
A subsequent Cessna he owned, piloted by another local, crashed after take-off in 2017.
In 2019, he and Robyn sold their business but kept the land and buildings.
Apart from flying, Robyn says his other interest was helping builder Alan Hampton build their seven houses.
But the most important thing in his life, she adds, was his family — not only his children but also their partners and his grandkids.
"He absolutely adored all seven of his grandchildren, and they adored him."
Richard’s great mate Pete Ramsay, whom he employed at Remarkable Motors, says he had a great sense of humour and was veryfamily- and community-orientated.
"He was never afraid to say what he thought, but he was very honest and caring — a good all-rounder, actually."
