Richard joined us for dinner on St. Patrick’s Day at a local restaurant.

Our hearts are heavy today. We lost a friend. Our dear friend Richard Turner, who stuck-like-glue from the moment we met him on January 24, 2015, the day we joined the Makai Country Club only days after our arrival in Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii. (Please click here for the link to the day we met Richard).

Little did we know…that meeting this special man would turn our four-month stay in Kauai into a whirlwind of an enriching and highly enjoyable social life with friendships we made for life including with him and his dear wife Elaine.

Little did we know…the friendship with Richard would be so short when yesterday, 13 months later, he passed away in his sleep, never to awaken to see the face of beloved wife Elaine and treasured cat, Daisy Mae. 

Elaine and Richard joined us for lunch at the local Westin Hotel where we languished in their company engaged in delightful conversation, as always.

He leaves in his wake a plethora of those who loved him;  family, friends and neighbors, and a world of clients with whom he diligently worked for decades as an attorney in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, all who admired his generosity of spirit and time as breathtaking in today’s hurried world. 

About eight years ago, he, Elaine, and Daisy Mae moved to Kauai to the home they’d owned for years and planned for eventual retirement. Overlooking the ocean, Richard was proud of his lovely home and shared its many treasures with us only days after we met. (Please click here for Part 1 of the tour of Elaine and Richard’s lovely home and here for Part 2 when he introduced us to the nesting Laysan Albatross in his neighborhood).

Little did we know…that meeting Richard would provide us with the pleasure we experienced from the many people we met at an endless array of parties and social events that we’d be gifted with the joy of regularly visiting the albatross and their eventual chicks, another of our favorite memories of Kauai.

Richard had finished off his garage to hold his magistrate’s desk he’d shipped from Missouri to Kauai. He was excited to share this favorite possession from his life as an attorney in Missouri.

Yesterday, I wrote the following in a Facebook comment with a photo we’d taken shortly after meeting Richard when he invited us to his home to meet Elaine: “We spent many hours together with Richard and his wife Elaine. He will be dearly missed by many who had the privilege of knowing this kind and caring ambassador of friendship and love.”

That was Richard, an ambassador of friendship and love. He had a magical way of bringing people together with a sense of pride in doing so as a parent who’d step back to watch the progression of friendships among the people he loved the most.

After we left Kauai on May 23, 2015, four months later, our hearts filled with appreciation for his love and friendship. He called us, “blue eyes and the Irishman” an endearing term that addressed every encounter and every precious email after we left. We often referred to him as “Ricky” and he never flinched. 

Tom and Richard had an instant bond, one he’ll always treasure.  They equally loved sharing their corny “guy” jokes and stories.

We never lost touch with Richard in this past year for more than a few days at a time, as he continually teased us to give up our world travels and move to Kauai to live in his neighborhood.

Little did we know…that had we ever decided to give up our continuing life of travel which began 40 months ago to live in Kauai, we’d have done so more to be close to him, Elaine, and the many people he introduced us to, than any other reason in the world.

However short our friendship, he’ll remain in our hearts forever. Rest in peace, dear friend. Little did we know…you’d leave us all so soon…

Photo from one year ago today, March 1, 2015:

With little wildlife in Kauai, other than chickens and roosters, we find ourselves more attracted to birds than we’ve been in the past.   These Zebra Doves are commonly seen in Kauai although not native to the Hawaiian Islands. Click here for more photos of Kauai.