Born on January 5th, 1949, Richard Frederick Enarson passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on September 23, 2023 in Markham, Ontario, at age 74. Known by some as “Dickie”, “Nathanael”, or “Mike”, Richard was a dedicated and proud family man, an energetic sprightly soul who loved making people laugh, treasured his friends, and stood resolutely in his values.

Richard was born and raised by his parents, Fritz and Winona Enarson, in Wetaskiwin, Alberta alongside his three siblings, Nola, Ray, and Gayle, as well as many nearby cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends. He was an active young man who loved to write songs, play his trumpet, and share music with others.

He made a strong profession of Christian faith and enjoyed attending Bible camps where he felt a strong sense of dedication to make a difference in this world. Although he eventually parted ways with traditional religion, he remained a devout Christian, finding strength and purpose in his spiritual beliefs. Every day of his life began with a prayer, a scripture, and a quiet moment with God and a cup of coffee.

He met Linda in Prince Albert Bible College. He looked through a glass window at a young woman playing the viola. He said he fell in love with her that very moment and quickly embarked on a romantic mission to woo her with his songs, poems, letters, and charming nature. They were married on July 4th, 1970, in the presence of family and friends.

In the 28 years that followed Richard and Linda had 7 children, while travelling the world spreading faith, hope, and love. They lived in Sweden, Germany, Norway, France, India, Mexico, USA, and then back to Canada. Forever proud of his children, he touted them as his greatest accomplishment; he could never go through a cash register or into a store without bringing up the subject of his kids or his “girlfriend Linda” with someone he would meet. He welcomed each of their spouses into the family as though they were his own.

As his children’s families began to grow, he and Linda also became the greatest and proudest of grandparents. They shared their love of music with their grandchildren and he enjoyed spending time with them as he took them camping, dropped them to work, or brought them together for family gatherings.

Richard and family spent an adventurous 6 years in The Gambia, West Africa, where he was a Warden of Canada and he and Linda shared their music and faith. Following that, they spent 6 years in Lexington, Kentucky, living and working near his daughter Jean and her family. Eventually they moved back to Toronto, Canada, where he set up his small landscaping and handyman business, called "Precious Little". He enjoyed it so much as it allowed him to meet and interact with people all the time.

Richard loved carpentry and spending time with friends and family; he could fix or build anything, or he would figure out how. He had a hearty appetite for good food, particularly Indian cuisine, and a fine steak. He loved a cold beer. His reading interests ranged from The Bible to all things conspiracy theory.

Music was another one of Richard's great passions. He enjoyed songs like "Amazing Grace", "You Raise Me Up", and "You Are Beautiful" by Phil Driscoll, and also loved the timeless tunes of The Beatles, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, and good old-fashioned hymns. He was a talented and enthusiastic musician himself, playing piano, trumpet and guitar and vocals in the choir. His favourite TV show was "The Chosen", “Ted Lasso” and the film "Passion of the Christ" held a special place in his heart.

Forever the adventurer and pioneer with a wanderlust spirit, Richard’s eyes would light up with excitement whenever he could road trip, or visit his friends, or make a new connection. He loved that he and Linda could be near to most of their children and grandchildren. He enjoyed visiting nature reserve parks, camping, and walks by the river with his lifelong love and wife, Linda.

He was so very proud of his heritage and ancestry and made sure that his children and grandchildren knew and honoured the Enarson, Ericson and Quarnstrom names. He was full of love for those who passed on before him, including his daughter Jean, his parents and others close to his heart, and he kept their memories and voices alive.

Richard was deeply committed to freedom for all and resistance against oppression. His favourite colour, blue, represented his love for freedom, expansiveness, and inspiration. His vibrant personality was a composite of quirkiness, humour, reliability, and compassion. He believed in teaching through example, instilling beliefs of compassion, patience, and endurance even through times of hardship.

He will be remembered for all the heart he shared with his friends and family. He truly loved each of them and if you knew him, you knew it. He was strong-willed and stubborn at times, but he had an enormous heart and wonderful sense of humor. He loved to catch anyone to tell his stories to. His daily habits included numerous phone calls and messages with people all over the world who confided in him, who shared their joys and struggles with him. He would rarely miss a phone call. When the time came, he joked and laughed with the paramedics in the way that he always did with people that he met. His legacy is one of love, joy, service, and a treasure trove of memorable stories and experiences.

In true Richard fashion, he was never one for formalities and always the rebel at heart, and we say goodbye to him with a celebration of his life and spirit. We invite you to make a toast with us to his legacy, friendship and a life well-lived. His absence will be deeply felt, he will be missed dearly, and he will forever remain in our hearts. Through our memories, his spirit will continue to guide us.

Richard is survived by countless friends, his wife Linda and his large and loving family.

Children: Abe Joe, Winona Jean (1975-2017), Simon, Beth, Jayne, Elena, Angali

Grandchildren: Laura, Kimberly, Mariah, Keana, Cavin, Trey, Dalton, Chris, Brandon, Ryan, Anika, Kyle, Ashley, Troy, Charlie, Maya, Layth, Lyam, Alexandra, Lukyan, Lucyan, Hailey, Ciaran. 

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