Richard “Dick” Sturgeon was born on February 17th, 1934, in Midland, Ontario. He grew up with his loving brother, Raymond, in the arms of their parents, Elizabeth “Bessie” and Joseph “Tweedie” Sturgeon.
He was a salesman, a semi-professional hockey player, a budding and enthusiastic theologian, a theatre buff, a baseball lover, a card shark, a father, a grandfather, and a great-grandfather. He was an all-round sweet soul.
Dick met his sweetheart, Lorraine Hunter, when she was 16, through his uncle Charlie. A few years later, they met again at a JW conference in Toronto in 1955. They were married in 1956. They worked to help increase the population of Willowdale and then Orillia, with their five children: Cherryll, Brenda, Scott, Pamela, and Sean.
Family meant everything to Dick. By the time 2021 rolled around, Dick was proud to be able to claim, impressively: Children, 5; Grandchildren, 8; Great-grandchildren, 11. Married: nearly 65 years.
Three of Dick’s favourite things – outside of his family – were sports and food and theatre. In his youth, Dick was invited to play junior hockey with Galt, an affiliate of the Chicago Black Hawks. He travelled near and far enjoying the game and even made his way into the Midland Sports Hall of Fame. Later in his life, Dick still enjoyed international travel with hockey. Many members of the infamous Orillia Oldtimers remained his friends until the end. Dick played with the Oldtimers for 11 years. He was also a huge fan of baseball – playing and watching his whole life. He definitely passed this love onto his children, especially Scott and Sean.
In 1965, Dick and Lorraine (along with Dick’s uncle, Jack Hepworth) opened the first take-away pizzeria in Orillia. Eventually, Bob Robertson came on the scene and the pizza joint became Angelo’s Tavern. For years, Dick and his staff entertained many Orillians. The restaurant also employed many of the Sturgeon children. Angelo’s was a lively and active business until 1978.
Dick worked for years, following this, at CKVR in Barrie. Even while this day job kept him busy, theatre in Orillia kept both Dick and Lorraine busy too. “Oh Really, Orillia?” was a production of the Mariposa Theatre Company that both Dick and Lorraine were involved with for years. Dick loved nothing more than hitting the stage with his fellow singers and dancers and whooping it up – raising laughs and toe taps from their audiences.
At the end of his life, he was most pleased by visits with his loved ones, catching a glimpse of any Jays’ games he could, and the occasional softly played Frank Sinatra tune. We will miss his gentle smile and his love of family, food, and life.
Thank you to the Algonquin Grace Hospice in Huntsville; they helped to make our last days together very special and comfortable. We will never forget the care and love that we all experienced there.
Dick died at Algonquin Grace on Thursday, April 1st, 2021.
