Richard Wilfrid Pinch BOWLES

Richard Wilfrid Pinch Bowles October 3, 1927 - October 16, 2017
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Rich/Dad/Boppa and Great-Grandad. He is survived by his great love Jessie Nugent his wife of 65 years. He will be missed by his children Richard (Teri), Jean (Glen), Karen (Scott), Patricia (Geoff) and Ted (Laura). Remarkable Boppa to Stefanie, Pamela, Vanessa, Dean, Evan, Grant, Jesse, Jason, Bronwyn, Alexander, Frieda and Matthew. Great-grandfather to Axel, Pippa, Elliot and Baxter. Also survived by his sister Patricia Sleep. Richard was born in South Porcupine, Ontario and grew up in Nestleton on the family farm. After grade school in a one room schoolhouse, he attended Bowmanville High School and Victoria College at the University of Toronto where he majored in history and, more importantly, met Jessie. The newlyweds settled at the family farm until the allergies of their offspring forced them to move north to Kirkland Lake where he taught at the local high school. The family spent a year in England financed by a Canada Council grant, where Richard toured the country teaching English children about Canada. Upon return to Canada he became in turn, a secondary school Inspector with the Ontario Ministry of Education and a professor of history in the Department of Education at U of T. Dad's memory for literature and poetry was prodigious. He could identify poet and complete almost any piece from a word or phrase. His love of language, song and literature engendered the same in his children, his grandchildren and his students. After Jessie, farming was his first love. Summers were well spent at the farm in Kolapore, Ontario where he introduced his progeny and their various friends to the joy of moving rocks, building rail fences and shovelling manure. They eventually moved back to the family farm where Richard spent many hours happily shovelling, moving and building. A gentle man, a farmer and a scholar. Tempus damn fugit. Donations may be made to the Port Perry Hospital Foundation and/or learn a piece of poetry and recite it when occasion warrants.