Dr. Richard F. GOSSE

DR. RICHARD FRASER GOSSE, Q.C. (DICK GOSSE) Dick Gosse died on November 18, 2008, on the eve of British Columbia's 150th anniversary in Vancouver, the place of his birth. He was born on March 25, 1924 to Annabelle Maude (nee Fraser) and Richard Josiah Gosse, son of Capt. Richard Edward Gosse, originally of Spaniard's Bay, Newfoundland. After graduating from Prince of Wales High School in Vancouver, Dick served as a pilot in the RCAF and was posted to a Bomber Command squadron in Yorkshire. He went to McGill University (B.A.) and UBC (LL.B.) and articled with Davie Fulton in Kamloops before becoming the first lawyer to open a practice in Kitimat. He then spent three years in Oxford where he received a D.Phil. in Law. Dick joined the newly formed Faculty of Law at Queen's University in 1960, became counsel to the Ontario Law Reform Commission in 1967, the first full-time member of the Law Reform Commission of BC in 1970 and Professor of Law at UBC in 1972. In 1977 he became Deputy Attorney General in Saskatchewan under Roy Romanow. He said this was the most satisfying job he ever had due largely to the warm-hearted, straightforward people of Saskatchewan. He was appointed the first Inspector General of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service in 1985 and became the first Chair man of the RCMP Public Complaints Commission in 1988. In the nineties Dick focused his efforts on aboriginal justice issues, as the Law Foundation Professor at the University of Saskatchewan College of Law and later as a special representative of the Federal Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs. He traveled throughout Europe and Asia and made many friends especially in Israel, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and China. He was a great skier and long distance runner. He canoed the Rideau Canal, hiked the West Coast Trail and ran the Ottawa Marathon at the age of 64. Later in Victoria Dick achieved Life Master status in contract bridge and in 1999 he returned to university to study astronomy. One of the high points in his life was winning a bronze medal in the 10k at the Russian National Track and Field Championships in Moscow in 1991. Although he would confess there were only two other runners in his age group he would put for ward this achievement, along with his practice history, as evidence that he was a runner in body, mind and spirit. He leaves behind his three children ­ Richard, Gisela and Alex, their mother Jean, daughter-in-law Chen Jie, granddaughters Paula and Olivia, Alex's partner Michael Wurstlin and grandson Lucas. At Dick's request there will be no funeral. To contact the family you can email his son Richard at richardgosse@shaw.ca