Obituary of Roy William Richardson

Roy William Richardson, Dartmouth, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 19, 2021. Roy was born on May 3, 1934 and was raised in the North End of Halifax. He was the oldest of Roy and Violet Richardson’s five children. It was from his parents that he inherited and nurtured a love of singing and music.

In 1956, Roy married Mildred aka Lucky McDonald from Jollimore. They always enjoyed telling people how they met on a mattress at Church Camp, mercifully further details were not forthcoming. We suspect this cringeworthy picture precipitated the creation of the acronym TMI. Roy’s family always suspected that his new bride was a little older than Roy; however, this remained a state secret until the early nineties when Mildred applied for her pension and Dad learned the truth; he was always good at math. Roy was unfazed and they celebrated 64 years of marriage this past September. The newlyweds migrated from Halifax to Dartmouth in the mid-1950’s.

Roy worked as an electrician at the Imperial Oil Refinery for 25 years until he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1978. He never let his illness define him. He worked hard and was able to maintain a level of independence for many years, defying the odds. Roy, like many men of his generation, was handy. He could fix, repair, or build whatever was required. In 1960, he used these skills to help build their family home. Roy and Mildred were both very proud of their house and for the next 60 years, he and Mildred loved hosting parties, family gatherings, and even political rallies at 10 Wildwood Blvd. Roy and Mildred were blessed to have a wonderful circle of friends and neighbors with whom they created many great memories that will always be cherished. This network looked out for Dad and Mom while they remained in their home and we will be forever grateful for their help.

Roy and Mildred loved to travel. They drove throughout Canada and North America together and made many friends along the way.

Roy is survived by his wife Mildred, son Roy-Douglas (Debbie); daughter Kimberley-Anne (Seamus O’Dowd), Toronto; grandchildren Kate, Claire, and Colin Richardson; brother Robert; and sister Dorothy Henderson.

He was predeceased by his brothers Donnie and Graham.

Roy put people at ease, he transcended his physical challenges with humour and grace. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and a kind and decent man. He will be missed.

We would like to extend our gratitude to the staff at Oceanview where Roy resided for the past four years.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Arrangements have been entrusted to Serenity Funeral Home, 34 Coldbrook Village Park Dr., Coldbrook, NS, B4R 1B9 (902-679-2822).