Richard Paul Faulkner

Richard Faulkner was a natural leader with a winning presence. He was a visionary and was able to make his ideas, especially when it came to his pubs, come true. He had the ability to make even routine situations seem exciting and was a magnet that attracted all of those around him with his funny anecdotes and his winning smile. Richard always sought out the scene of where the action was. He was a free spirit and had a larger than life personality. He attracted others to him with his charismatic personality and yet he was deeply sensitive and very philosophical in a deep, considered way. Richard was a seeker of knowledge, and he always strove to know more about life and other people. He was self-educated and prided himself on being able to hold his own well on numerous subjects such as history, religion, and politics. Sociable, analytical, and pleasant, Richard was an individual and a true character who lived life to the fullest.

Richard was born on August 20, 1965 at home in Amberly Close in Crawley, W Sussex, England. His parents were Ron and Pauline. Richard was raised in Crawley, a true Sussex boy. As a little boy, he was shy and sensitive. He grew to be a fun-loving teenager who got in a fair share of scrapes but always with a smile on his face. Armed with a great wit and intelligence, Richard was raised to be accepting of others and to implement a strong personal work ethic.

Blessed with a balanced attitude, Richard was able to relate well to others and was raised within a close-knit family. He had one older sister, Elaine; two step-sisters Andrea and Lynne; and two half siblings, James and Chantal. Despite that fact that his family was spread out between two countries, he remained close to all. Richard had a strong desire to be treated fairly and would readily offer others the same fairness in return.

As a young child, Richard showed his creative ability in many ways. He was outgoing and animated. Richard enjoyed new activities and pursued a variety of interests. In his spare time he liked to roller skate and spend time with friends being a normal, happy, friendly English lad. He had a motorbike as a teen that he loved working on with Pete, his step-dad. Richard's memorable achievements included roller skating over 200 miles from London to Bristol for charity.

Richard liked secondary school for the classes and loved hanging with his mates. His favorite subjects were history and home economics, a class that later helped him in his profession as a restaurant owner. He left school at age 16 and despite doing well on his O-levels, he went to work full-time for an import/export company. He was very well respected by his boss and co-workers. After a year doing full-time work, he enlisted in the British army and served his country proudly for four years. He achieved the rank of Royal Engineer and built bridges, drove tanks and was a super-fit soldier who lived abroad in Germany while enlisted. He showed leadership qualities and could make tough decisions when he was called upon to do so. He also made great mates in the military and was famous in later years for telling hilarious stories about his time in the army and all of the mischief he and his buddies would get up to. Richard was a great story-teller and had a joke or a story for every occasion.

Friends and acquaintances found Richard an easy man to get to know, and those close to him would often praise his open, practical style of communication and relaxed approach to life in general. Richard was uncomplicated and straightforward in his relationships which allowed him to accept people for what they were. While growing up, some of his best friends were Carl Carter and Phail McGregor. Later in adult life, he became friends with Frank, Mike, Paul, Bill, Mike and a host of other intelligent guys that he enjoyed spending time with having a beer and great conversation.

On August 12, 2000 Richard exchanged wedding vows with Gabrielle Anderson at the home of a friend in Riverside, California. Richard was a loving husband, and he charmed Gabrielle and others with his engaging personality. Richard was able to bring pleasure and unexpected humor to their relationship, and they were truly best friends who spent hours talking and enjoying each other’s company.

Very much like a kid himself, Richard identified with the inquisitive and creative side of his children’s personalities. He was able to direct his energy and spontaneity towards helping his children acquire added common sense skills. Richard was blessed with four beautiful children: two sons, Nicholas and William from his first marriage to Cindy; and a son and a daughter, Harrison and Josephine with his wife, Gabrielle.

Richard was a flexible worker who was able to draw the best from others around him. A persuasive individual who was quick to make necessary decisions, Richard’s strengths included being able to think on his feet. Gifted with an incredible ability to read body language and intuitiveness, Richard was able to positively manipulate situations and motivate others in order to get a task completed. He was a good negotiator who enjoyed new challenges. Richard was endowed with an entrepreneurial spirit, allowing him to think beyond standard norms when it came to pursuing his dreams. His primary occupation was as a restaurateur. He was self employed from the age of 21 as a pub/restaurant owner. He first owned pubs in Munich, Germany and started them with the help of this father, Ron. He then moved to California in 1991 and opened a Round Table Pizzeria before starting the Pig's Ear in 1992. In 1998 he left the Pig's Ear to open The Royal Falconer pub in downtown Redlands, a pub which is still thriving today. In 2004, he opened a second pub in downtown Riverside. He invested in rental properties as well and created a small empire that will continue to be a part of the community for years to come.

Richard enjoyed his leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. He had something of an artistic flair in many of the things that he did. He put this creativity toward all of his pastimes. His favorite pursuits were spending time with friends and family, and reading tons of books. His favorite topic was World War II, and his hero was Winston Churchill. When Richard wasn’t at one of his pubs, he spent his evenings watching the History Channel, the Science Channel and any interesting documentary. He had no patience for sitcoms and always wanted to be learning something. He was also an avid lover of crossword puzzles. He did at least two a day but only the challenging English crosswords from the many books he purchased on his trips to England. He was especially proud of his extensive collection of music. He loved music of all kinds and cherished his CD's. He was extremely creative and enjoyed sketching and building things out of wood. This love of creating things coupled with his extraordinary vision is what inspired him to create the pubs he so loved.

Because he liked to take risks, Richard was a perfect match for athletics and exercise. Throughout his adult life he loved to hike with friends and go walking with his wife. Richard was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football (soccer); he LOVED Chelsea Football Club and was an avid fan of the English Premier League.

Richard was a generous man who prized that same quality in others. So it’s little wonder that he was so active and giving in his community. Richard was a huge supporter of many community organizations such as the Redlands Unified School District and AYSO. He coached his older boys in AYSO for several years serving as both head and assistant coach. He sponsored numerous AYSO, club soccer, youth baseball and Redlands High School teams. He was extremely generous and cared about giving back to the community and to young sportsmen.

Richard was not a religious man, but lived his life with the belief in treating everyone with kindness and generosity. He cherished his family more than anything and taught his children to be strong, intelligent and caring individuals through his example.

Travel and vacations were experiences that Richard truly enjoyed. He traveled to England and Germany once or twice a year throughout his adult life to visit his family abroad. Richard loved spontenaity; he always wanted to leave his plans open and flexible just in case something more interesting came along. He loved going home to England more than anything, because he loved the Sussex Downs, a place where the green fields of his home country met the sea.

Richard passed away on September 13, 2010 in Redlands, California. He is survived by his wife, Gabrielle; his children, Nicholas, William, Harrison, and Josephine; his father, Ron; his step-mother, Elsbeth; his mother Pauline; his step-father, Pete; his grandmother Eileen, who was his deeply treasured Little Nan; his sister Elaine and her three beautiful children Sam, Emma, and Sophie; step-sisters, Andrea and Lynne, and his half siblings, James and Chantal.

Richard was the kind of person who could win others over easily. A concrete communicator, he relied on his senses to increase his involvement and awareness of others. He was always able to provide amusing repartee to his friends and acquaintances, offering a seemingly endless supply of quips, anecdotes, jokes and stories. If Richard had a theme song written about him, it might well have been “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” He enjoyed his life and the experience of living it. Richard affected the lives of hundreds around him through his beloved pub, and his memory will live on through his children and through the friends and the community who will continue to frequent his beloved pubs. Richard loved the fact that what he did for a living brought people together; it gave him great joy and pride. His vibrancy and energy will never be forgotten and will live on. This is how everyone will remember Richard Paul Faulkner.