Always well-read and teeming with facts, Rick was a restless student who completed a couple of semesters studying his passions – Egyptology and Archaeology. But he saw these as hobbies and decided ro work in the real world.

He learned his retail skills from an experienced pharmacy owner who taught Rick everything from product facing, to traffic flow, to how to spot shoplifters and fraudsters. Rick supplemented that job with work at Canadian Tire, assembling bicycles for the summer and Christmas rush periods.

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As a belated 25th birthday gift, in 2004 he and Jeff flew back to the UK, met Jude, and we all went to Egypt. We saw Cairo and its chaotic market, the Pyramids, and the famous museum there.  From an overwhelming crowded train station we somehow boarded a night train to Karnak. Jeff, Rick and I had a few awful beers in the club car and managed a couple of hours sleep before arriving, battered, early the next morning. We recovered by the pool where Rick proudly claimed to be the first to fall victim of Tutankhamen’s revenge – an irresistible bowl of ice cream being the suspected culprit.  Still, Karnak was amazing as was Valley of the Kings – places Rick had only seen in books.

Rick was very impressed with the guide we hired at Karnak, confiding in me that the guide “really knew his stuff”.  From there it was on to Sharm El-Sheik where Rick was asked to leave a store because he had army trousers on. Ha!