Richard Carver

CARVER, Richard Eugene Of Nelson, B.C, and formerly of Ottawa, died suddenly June 28, 2009, in Guelph, Ont., while visiting relatives. Richard was born in London, England, Nov. 15, 1937, to the late Francis and Peggy Carver. He is deeply mourned by daughter Jocelyn, son-in-law Terry Brennan and cherished grand-daughter Lucy Carver-Brennan of Nelson; son Andrew, sister Virginia and former wife Margaret of Ottawa; and many members of his extended family in Canada, the United Kingdom, and South Africa. After working as a reporter for the Scottish Daily Express and for a London public relations firm, Richard emigrated to Canada in 1962. From 1962 to 1966, he was a reporter for the Kirkland Northern Daily News, The Financial Times in Montreal, and The Ottawa Journal. For more than 20 years he had a distinguished career with the National Library in Ottawa, from which he retired in 1986. His quick wit and broad-ranging interests garnered him a host of friends and colleagues, and when he moved to Nelson in the summer of 2001, he found a community where he could explore a whole new set of interests - including his own painting and poetry. He contributed in a major way to the life of Nelson, volunteering with a wide range of cultural and civic institutions. By the time of his death he had become a Nelson fixture. He managed to maintain through correspondence and travel an extensive network of communication with family and friends in other parts of Canada and around the world. A friend has called him an iconoclast, but Richard's enthusiasm for ideas and all manner of creative expressions was an intensely positive force, wherever he touched down. Celebrations of Richard's life will be held in Ottawa and Nelson in the fall. Details will follow. Special thanks to our family in Guelph, Kathy, Peter, Effie, Liz and Archie, for their love and support. Our gratitude also goes out to the staff of the Critical Care Unit of the Guelph General Hospital.