MOIR: Richard Lloyd, 71, of Lake Country, BC passed April 16, 2023 at Kelowna Hospice House. He was born May 13, 1952 in Winnipeg, Manitoba to Frank and Ruby Stinson Moir. Richard is survived by his wife Ruth, daughter Sharon, Chris,Isaac, Elliot, Daughter Carrie, Brad, Jack, Ellie, Brother Ron & Ruth Moir.
Richard grew up in Winnipeg's west end, falling asleep to the sounds of his music teacher mom’s singing students or his brother-practicing piano. His teen years were spent with a wide variety of friends, fixing and racing cars on dirt tracks and on ice, and fishing in the river during summer, which grew into a deeper love of boats and boating. Following in his piano tuner technician dad's footsteps, Richard completed training and took over the tuning business when his dad retired early due to crippling arthritis.
He took an interest in a local waitress who found the piano tuner, arriving for pie and ice cream every day at 2:45 wearing a three-piece suit and a pocket watch, unusual at first, then interesting, fun, and finally wonderful and more special than anything or anyone else. They married on his 23rd birthday. Richard maintained his friendships both during and between tunings, often swinging by home as well. Racing cars morphed into dune buggy racing weekends at the beach, schlepping baby equipment and a big dog along for the ride.
He spent 50 years with his best friend and life partner who shared his boundless enthusiasm for life's possibilities. Blessed with two wonderful daughters, they refurbished pianos in the garage, which also funded a motorcycle, flying lessons, and eventually led to a small piano store on Portage Avenue. Richard was drawn to an old bank building that became home on the second floor, with piano sales and service on the main floor, and a music studio and recital hall on the lower level.
Winnipeg proved to be a great location for the music business, and living at work was conducive to raising their daughters. The grocery store across the street, operated by an amazing Italian family of six, adopted our little family. The St. James library, YMCA, school, and pet store became familiar neighborhood spots for his daughters. Richard was always ready to improve any task; he knocked out a staircase for a winch to move grand pianos between floors, built a rotating stage to showcase a grand piano, and mastered the art of installing digital pianos into unrepairable upright or grand pianos. He perfected epoxy techniques, taught polyester repair, and installed player systems into grand pianos. He even built a showcase trailer capable of holding up to eleven pianos for easy transportation to home shows and out-of-town events. Generous with piano loans and support for local musicians and music teachers, Richard made business personal. The friendships formed in the music industry were deeply meaningful and enriching.
At midlife, the business was sold, and he moved his family and business to Kelowna. Starting over in Kelowna was extremely challenging. Every light in every window on the drive home from another day without a sale, the mantra was "all those homes need a piano, they just don’t know it yet." Toiling with a mix of fear and excitement, the Okanagan did come through, and the following two decades were filled with new experiences, a few successes, and a few failures. Wonderful friendships were built with clients, neighbors, friends of friends, and a couple of special Labradors. The biggest puppy love developed with a little yellow mutt named Daisy, who arrived during the rebuild of the home lost in the 2003 firestorm. Every summer, a fishing trip with Winnipeg friends; he and Daisy would visit old friends along the way, another highlight.
Retirement took on several new forms, from renewing his love of boating and taking motorcycle trips to dipping his toes into winters in Mexico and investing in a local project property to build a home for and with his daughter. He also generously gave his time and skills to support workshops offered by his daughter during her weekend retreats. These projects and special times became the most treasured highlights of his life, along with his daughters and their families.
Since 2011, Richard blogged about his day-to-day highlights, which he named "This Life Sure Is Fun." Sharon printed out each year for Father’s Day. It became a sort of "like the notebook movie," only he remembered everything until glioblastoma arrived and not slowly took it all away. Richard hoped until the very end that it wasn’t, couldn’t be happening, and when it became clear the options were none, he chose an earlier exit to spare everyone, including himself, the unforgiving path ahead that would show no mercy. To quote Rick a few weeks earlier, "I have no bucket list, no regrets; I’m content." He was very brave, very practical, very determined, and very loved.
We will miss him dreadfully.
Celebration of Life Saturday, May 11, 2024 in Kelowna, 11-2. RSVP text 250-868-7331 or email [email protected]
In lieu of flowers donate to Kelowna Hospice House
Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.firstmemorialfuneralkelowna.com
Arrangements entrusted with First Memorial Funeral Services, Kelowna, BC 250-762-2299
Partager l'avis de décès
v.1.9.6