Richard Page

I've just returned from the funeral of a friend and colleague, Richard Page.

One of the fittest people I know (he’s been known to run back home to the Scarborough Bluffs from business meetings in downtown Toronto), he was taken last week by brain cancer at the age of 56.

Richard was advertising sales director at PROFIT Magazine when I was publisher. We went on lots of sales calls together, broke a few sales records, came up lots of new ideas and actually pulled some off. He left around 2001 to get involved with a startup magazine. Clearly, the entrepreneurial atmosphere of PROFIT was infectious.

But the economy had passed its peak, and Richard ended up working on lots of different entrepreneurial projects. He was also a board member, chair, and huge supporter of the Canada Safety Council. When we met once or twice a year to stay in touch and compare notes, I rarely understood what he was working on, but it was always a complex, creative solution with public service foremost in mind.

Today I learned that a risk-management tool Richard developed for regulatory agencies is now in place and working well with a leading regulatory body. I think he was on the brink of great things – which makes his passing all the more tragic.

The good news is that Richard lived life to the fullest. When he learned seven months ago about the brain tumour that was causing dizzy spells, he wrote up a motto and taped it to his fridge. It went something like this: “I will live each day to its fullest one day at a time.”

In between doctors’ visits he continued to work, but also found more time for family, music, reading, and his many other passions. Family members were amazed that his overall mood was one of joy – appreciating every day, every moment, every friend.

May all of us be able to say the same.