Richard William Lewis

November 26, 2020

Quietly and peacefully, on November 26, 2020, Richard William Lewis, aged 65, slipped from this Earth. Predeceased by his parents, William and Frances Lewis, he will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by his wife and soulmate, Karin Nakamura; his sister, Helen (Chris) Roberts; his daughter, Tara (Dan) Furze; and the light of his life, his granddaughter, little Lana-Grace. Also left with many cherished memories are daughters Sacha Lewis (Reuven Stott) and Jessica Lewis; grandchildren Penelope and Saul Stott; the mothers of his daughters, Rebecca Steinberg-Lewis and Lori Lewis; nephew Tom Roberts; step-children Jessica Nakamura (Anthony Stirpe) and Devin Nakamura; and many, many dear friends. Richard was delighted to connect in recent years with his birth families, the Crann/Kirby clans of Cape Breton (originally from Burin, Newfoundland) and his Lumsden half-siblings in England, in particular Gillian Carter and Mark Gay. Richard had a great appreciation for fine masterpieces such as the works of Keith Jarrett, Rodin, and Shostakovich; thick theological texts; spicy falafels; excellent cigars; fresh pastries, especially those involving strawberries or whipped cream (and preferably both!); and sitting by the sea. After leaving a successful career as a visionary and systems consultant specializing in abnormal situation management, Richard retrained as a funeral director, offering his authenticity, presence, and integrity in times of greatest hurt and vulnerability. In his latter years he was a strong advocate for those living with mental health issues. He was a complex, delightful, many-layered man, and those who loved him knew him as a poet, a mentor, a true gentleman, a compassionate gentle soul, and a dearly loved friend. He will be well-remembered and deeply missed. As per his wishes, Richard has been cremated and his ashes will be scattered at a later date near Baxter’s Harbour Falls on the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia. A virtual service of remembrance was held on Sunday, December 6, 2020 at 12:00 noon, from St. John’s United Church in Oakville, Ontario; it was live streamed via their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/stjohnsunitedchurchoakville). A recording of the service has now been uploaded to YouTube and can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/RPNde4Ovs6M. For those who wish, donations of remembrance can be made to The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre in support of their excellent patient care programs and outstanding leading-edge research. https://www.theroyal.ca/get-involved/ways-to-donate/donate-in-honour-or-celebration