RICHARD WALTER PARTINGTON

(1948 - 2025) With deep sadness and regret, we must announce the passing of Richard Partington on September 16, 2025, in a Toronto Hospital, at the age of 77. He died of heart failure after several years of declining health. He was born Janurary 31, 1948, in London, England, to Dr. Michael Partington and his wife, Norah (nee James), a former nurse. Richard came to Canada in 1959 with his parents and three siblings after his father, a paediatrician, was offered a position at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children. The family later moved to Kingston, Ontario, where Richard, in his high school years at KCVI, explored and expanded upon his lifelong love of performing as an actor, singer, and musician. He appeared in leading roles in many of the school's annual glee club productions of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, and played several woodwind instruments in the school orchestra and band. A graduate of the National Theatre School in Montreal, his professional acting career took him to theatres all across Canada, including seasons at the Stratford Festival, the Shaw Festival and the National Arts Centre, as well as many other stages, both large and small, throughout the country. For his numerous appearances in Toronto theatres, he was nominated twice for a Dora award. His many television credits include Due South, Wind at My Back, Queer as Folk, Road to Avonlea and Street Legal. For many years, he worked with freelance broadcaster Cindy Bisaillon on the CBC Radio documentary series IDEAS, voicing such figures as poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, playwright Luigi Pirandello and, in a study of Lewis Carroll, at least 25 characters from Alice in Wonderland, including Alice herself. His love of singing and choral music led him to a long-standing involvement with the Toronto choir, The Annex Singers, which has an eclectic repertoire ranging from classical to contemporary choral works. One of Richard's last dramatic performances was with the choir on December 12, 2020, where he used his talents as an actor to read the part of The Narrator in Dylan Thomas's A Child's Christmas in Wales, a livestreamed presentation only, because of the COVID lockdown. Family and friends will recall another memorable performance he gave of the same part in December 2016 at St. George's Cathedral in Kingston. Richard was a well-read person of many interests: art, architecture, film, literature (including poetry, which he both read and wrote), history, current affairs, cooking, gardening, the natural world and much more. His deep love of nature made him a lifelong birder and, in his younger years, he enjoyed hiking, camping and canoeing in the wilderness across Canada, especially in BC and Ontario. In later years, as he stayed closer to his Toronto home base, he became an active member of the Toronto Field Naturalists. He led many of the TFN city outings in which he enthusiastically shared his extensive knowledge of nature in an urban setting, combined with the history of Toronto. His Trees and Architecture walks, in particular, were always well-attended. As his acting work slowed down, his love of learning and aptitude for teaching took him back to university, where he earned an MA in drama and theatre studies. He later became a writing tutor at the University of Toronto for a few years. He also took on the role of caregiver for several older members of the extended Weyman family, a job he proved well-suited for. Richard was predeceased by his parents; his twin brother, Kevin; his uncles, Bob (Vi) and John (Pat); and his cousins, Jacquie, Bob and Freda. He leaves his former partner and long-time friend, Cindy Bisaillon; their daughter, Chloe (Tevya); his grandson, Atlas; his sister, Linda (Robert); his brother, Stephen (Gail); his niece, Maia (DJ), and nephew, Felix; his grandnephews, Dylan and Ty; his cousin, Julie and her children, Nicole and Adam (Kimberley); Jacquie's daughter, Shelley; and his dear friend, Judith Orban. Also survived by his brother, Dominic (Alison), from his father's second wife, Sheila, and his children, Emil (Colby), Sebastian (Ashleigh) and Sheila (Lyndon); his stepbrothers, Simon Tunley (Lawrie) and Philip Tunley (Mary Anne), and stepsister, Athen Macdonald (Colin); his stepnieces, Alison, Emma, Sarah and Charlotte; his stepnephews, Robin and Jonno, and by their partners and many children. He also leaves Cindy's Weyman family who were also so much a part of Richard's life: Jenny Weyman-Chartoff (Robert, deceased); John (Anne), Peter (Annie) and James (Heather); and by their many children. Besides his Canadian families, Richard leaves his cousin, Jane Marshall (Mick), in England, and an extended family in Australia through his father's third wife, Gillian Turner. He is also fondly remembered by numerous friends and colleagues from across Canada and beyond. A special thanks goes to Midiela Rodriguez, the Personal Support Worker who brought Richard so much care, comfort and friendship in his last declining years. We shall all miss him greatly. Cremation has taken place. Celebrations of Richard's life and a private scattering of his ashes will be held in the warmer weather of next Spring, probably in May, dates and locations yet to be determined. Condolences can be left at the mountpleasantgroup.com website. Also visit the online obituary site of the Globe and Mail at legacy.com. For more information and to share memories of Richard, contact Cindy directly at wordandimagemedia@gmail.com and Chloe at theweymandesign @gmail.com.