Ross Bryden Richardson

My Dad was the best person you could've asked for in your corner. He was kind, caring, loving, and hilarious and prioritized his relationships with others above all else. He was a stand-out person who I miss every single day of my life; I know I'm grateful to have had a Dad who left such a big hole when he left. Ross was a squash and tennis player who loved (almost) nothing more than playing with his friends at the Granite Club. At the Granite, he was fortunate to meet some of his best friends, including (but not limited to) Neil Wainwright, Cameron Finlayson and Robin Bastedo, who stayed by his side until the very end. My Dad was known for his mischievous smile and 'win hard or die trying' attitude. We played tennis on the street in front of our house, made meringues or cookies for his fellow employees at True North Yachts, and took bike rides to Mac's Milk to sneak sweet treats behind my Mum's back. When I say (almost) above all else, I like to think our times together are part of that, as well as ANY time he spent on the water. My dad was an AVID sailor, running True North Yachts with his brother, Robert Richardson, and his nephew-in-law. My Dad spent the last years of his life either on the water, selling boats or checking items off his bucket list. If you wanted to see him in his element, you'd find him on his Hobie Cat on Lake Simcoe, taking off from my grandparent's house and spending as long as he could on the water. Some of my favourite memories with my Dad are on the water and I always feel closer to him there, leading to me naming my own Hobie Cat 'Fishbait 2.0', after all the times he threw the spiders that climbed on board, overboard calling them all 'Fishbait'. My Dad rocked - and I know so many people say that, but I'd like to emphasize how special he was. When my Dad was told he didn't have much time left, he called up my cousins Mark and Craig Hatch, asking if they would help take him on a Heliskiing trip in British Columbia. Now, this is a feat in and of itself, without having someone tagging along who 1. has terminal cancer and 2. is wearing a neck brace due to the cancer eroding the bones in his neck. However, Mark and Craig took this challenge on. Less than a year before he died (and leaving on my Mum's birthday nonetheless), my dad and Neil took off to BC to go CAT skiing with Mark and Craig. He had the absolute time of his life and returned in one piece! Only to be a tad cocky a week later and break his hip while skiing on a small hill in Ontario, trying to 'catch the fresh powder' since it was there. There's nothing I could say in this description that would sum up who my Dad was or what he stood for, since he was bigger than life itself. I hope if you're reading this that you take that away with you, whether you knew him personally or you're walking through the cemetery, came across this QR code and were curious. My dad's big thing was that he never wanted to be forgotten, I know that as long as I'm alive, he won't be, but I hope that this continues to share his legacy and story for those who didn't have a chance to know him. I love you Dad. You're Rossome and I miss you every day.

Love ya always,