To Silvija, Vita, Connor, Sara and Peter, please accept my deepest sympathy on the death of Richard. I have nothing but fond memories from my time spent with him, be it camping or hiking.

My thoughts are with you all.

Dear Silvija , Vita, Connor Sara and Peter,

I am so sorry for your loss at the passing of Richard. He was always a very supportive elder brother to me , a true role-model. I greatly admired his courage in dealing with his illness. Although we all knew he was dying this did not lessen the sting when he passed.

He was truly a gentle man, very like his father.

Silvija, Vita, Connor, Sara and Peter,

I am very sorry for you great loss. I hope you can take some comfort in the fact that although we are apart of you’re extended family in Ireland, we are all thinking of you.

I will always remember Ricahrd as being full of energy, with a love for adventure and the outdoors. I will remember him guiding our family around the Rockies, with us in his old VW campervan and him in a tent with Vita and Connor. I will remember the huge pancake breakfasts he would cook us. I will remember his many trips back to Ireland and the time we all spent together, in Dublin and Kerry. Most of all I will remember Richard for the courage and strength he showed in the final years of his life, a life cut short but well lived, an inspiration for us all.

Dear Silvija, Vita, Conner. Sara and Peter,

My heartfelt sympathy on the death of your wonderful Richard a kind caring quiet spirit and one of natures gentlemen just like his father before him. Now he has gone may your memories of him, times with him and the many many stories about him sustain you and make you laugh and cry and in some way get through this sad and difficult time. I also want to extend my sympathy to Richards siblings who have lost a great brother whom they loved so much. My thoughts are with you all mind one another.

Silvija, Vita, Connor, Sara and Peter

Please accept my deepest sympathy on the death of your beloved Richard. I know you all miss him dearly. I had the pleasure of knowing him as a young child in Dollymount, Dublin and he was always so happy and cheerful. I am his first cousin, my late father Michael Houlihan and Richard’s late father Brendan were brothers. May God comfort you all in your great loss. May Richard’s soul rest in peace – Leaba i measc na naomh go raibh aige (May he have a bed amongst the saints). God bless you all, Kathleen Houlihan

Dear Silvija, Vita, Connor, Sara and Peter,

My memories of Uncle Richard are of his joking, kind and caring nature, his energy and enthusiasm for activity and the outdoors and his adventurous spirit. His visits always gave reason for celebratory get-togethers in Dollymount and Kerry. He would have everybody around him in top form with his stories and infectious good humour. The formidable attitude with which he lived his life and faced his illness is an inspiration to us all. He will be greatly missed. I am sorry for your huge loss and thinking of you all at this difficult time.

Suaimhneas siorrai dó

To Silvija, Vita, Conor, Sara and Peter.

Around uncle Richard I can never remember a dull or unhappy moment including the last Houlihan family gathering in June, where Richard seemed filled with an unnatural energy and strength to listen, speak and joke with everyone. Richard’s gentle and inquisitive manner belied a quiet determination to live his life, with a mischievous smile and twinkling eyes that I shall never forget.

I am sorry for your huge loss, take care.

To Silvija, Vita, Connor, Sara and Peter,

Accept my sincere condolences on Risteard’s death. I have such happy memories of growing up with him in The Curragh and in Dublin and the many family holidays we had with him in Canada and Ireland. We’ll miss his constant good humour and his smiling face.

Ni bheidh a leithead aris ann (there will never be his likes here again)

Mairead

I was so shocked to hear about Richard passing away!! He was a caring man, who had a gentle soul! He will be missed. I worked with Richard at the ERCB/AER for many years. My deepest sympathy to Richard’s family, and may God provide you all with strength in the days ahead.

Our sincere sympathies to his wife and family on Richards passing.

While the Atlantic spared Richard the Sisyphean task of getting this wayward godson to attend mass he showed me that a good man is defined by his actions, his kind words, his generous support when you needed it, and his quiet ability not to judge. I will always appreciate him, his support and what he taught me. I will remember him as the kinetic, quick witted and caring mountain of energy I looked up to. Silvija, Vita, Connor, Sara and Peter my thoughts are with you, take care of yourselves.

To Silvija, Vita, Connor, Sara and Peter.

Richard was a wonderful brother to me, both when I was a child and in later life.

My heart goes out to you all on your great loss.

Ar Dheis Dé go raibh a anam dilís

( May his faithful soul be on the right hand of God)

To Silvija, Vita, Connor, Sara and Peter, my deepest sympathy on the death of Richard. Richard was kind, caring and thoughtful – an exceptional human being. It is a privilege to have had him as a friend and brother-in-law.

Suaimhneas siorraí dó

May he rest in peace

Dear Silvija, Vita, Connor, Sara and Peter,

We were all so sad to hear of Richard’s passing. He was a great uncle who always showed such interest in all our lives. Oisin even has great memories of him. We were all very lucky to have him in our lives. We will be thinking of you all at this very difficult time.

All our love,

Grainne, Dara, Oisin and Odhran

Dear Sil, Vita, Connor, Sara and Peter

I am so sorry about Richard

He was such an amazing man with the gentlest manner and an infectious smile. I have been looking at photos the last few days and have noticed that at every visit everyone looks in such good form, laughing and smiling, and that’s what I remember about all of your visits…laughter and fun.

I will really miss him and treasure all the lovely memories

Look after yourselves and each other.

xxxxx

Suimhneas síorraí tabhair dó

Dear Sil, Vita, Connor , Sara and Peter,

My thoughts and prayers are with you at this time of sadness at the loss of Richard.

Richard had a great attitude to life and fought his illness with great courage and dignity.

I will treasure the many happy times we had together in Canada and in Ireland.

Ar Dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílís

Richard was so full of energy and zest for life his loss for you is all the greater.

He was such a lively person since the day he was born it is hard to believe he is gone from us.

He has left a legacy of love and affection.

Ní bheidh a leithéid aris ann.

Suaimhneas siorrai dó

My thoughts and prayers are with you at this time of sadness at the loss of Richard.

He had a great attitude to life and fought his illness with great courage and dignity.

I will treasure the many happy memories we had with Richard and Silvija in Canada and Ireland.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dIlIs

Dear Sil, Vita, Connor, Sara and Peter,

It is with great sadness that I extend my deepest condolences on Richard’s passing.

I fondly remember him as a man of warm optimism and quiet strength and I felt these qualities were particularly apparent in the courageous manner in which he faced his illness over the last few years. He is at peace now and my love is with you all in this difficult time.

I am deeply saddened by the passing away of Dr. Richard Houlihan. He was a great advisor, mentor, and leader. He was very kind, friendly and nice to work with. He will be missed very much. May his soul rest in peace! My thoughts and prayer are with his family and close friends!

I was so saddened to hear of Richard’s passing. I had the pleasure of working with Richard in Fort McMurray at the ERCB. His thoughtful and caring nature towards his work and those he worked with inspired such respect from those who were fortunate enough to cross his path.

While we hadn’t spoken in a number of years, I would think of him regularly and wish I had taken an opportunity to share with him how he influenced my own work and career. I am grateful to have worked with him.

Condolences to his friends and family.

Dear Sil, Vita, Connor, Sara and Peter,

I am sorry for the passing of Richard, he was a great man and a loving uncle. I shall always cherish my memories of him in my heart. Let his happy, adventurous life be a inspiration to us all. I shall keep you all in my thoughts and prayers.

Dear Silvija ,Vita , Connor , Sara and Peter

I am so sorry to hear of Richard’s passing. He was a great,kind,generous and goodhearted man and I will sorely miss him. I remember fondly the great man who I am proud to have called my uncle. I have nothing but warm and loving memories of him. I will remember him always. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Tá sé imithe ar slí na firinne

Dear Silvija and family,

We were very sorry to hear of Richard’s death after his long illness. We had the pleasure of meeting him and yourself whilst in Dublin on a number of occasions. We have fond memories of those times. Richard was always friendly and genuinely interested in everyone. We are remembering you in our prayers, love Kathleen and Frank McGarry

Dear Vita…. I was sorry to learn of the recent passing of your Father. While no words can ease the pain of your loss, you can take solace knowing that he is no longer in pain and is at peace. My thoughts and prayers are with on this difficult journey.

I am so very sad to hear of Richard’s passing. Please accept my sincere sympathy. I had the good fortune of knowing Richard as a friend and coworker for many years and I will miss him very much.

My thoughts are with you at this difficult time.

Dear Silvija, Vita, Connor, Sara and Peter,

I am so sorry to hear of Richards death. He was the best uncle I could’ve asked for. I feel as if he would want us all to celebrate the incredible life he had and to remember that he is with us in spirit. He is in a better place now and is finally at peace. All my love is with you at this difficult time xxx

Dear Sil, Vita, Connor, Sara and Peter,

It is with a profound sense of loss and sadness that I am sending my sincere condolences on Richard’s passing after his valiant struggle over the past few years. Genuinely interested in others, Richard was one of life’s gentle people, always eager to catch up and share stories and experiences. His love of life and his determination to live it to the full are an inspiration and fitting legacy. I treasure the many happy memories of the time spent together with you in Canada and here in Ireland. My family all send their condolences and remember him very fondly. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Silvia and family. Please accept my most sincere sympathy on the passing of our dear friend Richard. I had the privilege of working with Richard at the AEUB. He was one of Alberta’s unsung heroes by his dedicated and expert contribution to the responsible development of Alberta’s oil sands. When we sought his ” on the ground ” presence in Ft McMurray he made the sacrifice and industry and the public of Alberta benefited significantly. We have lost a wonderful friend, public servant, father and husband. God Bless.

Always enjoyed being with Richard. A great colleague. So sorry for your loss.

I am deeply saddened by the news of Richard’s passing. It was an honor to have known such a great professional, public servant and colleague. I will surely miss the presence of a truly loveable and kind person during our team meetings.

My heartfelt condolonces to the Houlihan family.

Richard was a very capable and honest individual who made a meaningful contribution to the ERCB/EUB and the Province of Alberta. He was a pleasure to work with. Maureen and I send our sincere sympathy and condolences to the family.

I was deeply saddened to hear about Richard’s passing. Vita I am sorry to hear about your dad.

My heartfelt condolences to the Houlihan family. You are in my thoughts and prayers

Silvija, Vita, Connor, Sara and Peter, I am so sorry Richard has passed away, my love to you all. He did so much throughout the last few years when he was ill, that was amazing. Richard always asking after others, he was a good listener, and had a great smile, he definitely smiled a lot, anytime I have ever though of Richard in my life the image that would come to mind is of him smiling, a warm, open kind smile.

Thinking of you all, and everyone else who loved him.

“If you live in this world with kindness, if you do not add to other people’s burdens, but if you try to serve love, when the time comes for you to make the journey [of death], you will receive a serenity, peace and a welcoming freedom that will enable you to go to the other world with great elegance, grace and acceptance.” from the writings of John O’Donohue

Much love to all the Houlihan family and God Bless! It was an honour to have worked with Richard at the ERCB and AER.

Richard was always such a pleasure to work with; a true expert in his field and always willing to patiently share that expertise. He also had a wonderful sense of humour, a dry wit and a general sense of optimism that seemed to flow around him. He will be missed.

Vita and Family,

We would like to extend our sincere condolences for your loss.

With Love,

Erika, Rosario,& Matteo Gentile

We are deeply saddened to hear that Richard has passed.

I have so many fond memories of working with Richard for 25 years at the ERCB/EUB. Richard was a wonderful coworker and friend and I will miss him greatly.

Deepest sympathies and prayers go out to Sylvija and family.

My deepest sympathies to Richard’s family. I worked with Richard over the years and he was smart and kind. He will be missed.

I am very sorry to hear of Richard’s passing. He was a very caring gentleman who always had time to say a cheerful hello. Richard will be missed by many. My thoughts and prayers are with the family.

Please accept my deepest sympathy and condolences for your loss. I had the good fortune to work with Richard for a number of years in the Oil Sands Department and on many other occasions when our career paths changed. Richard was a real gentleman and a scholar and it was a real pleasure to work with him . He will be missed.

I was saddened to hear of Richard’s passing. He was a great supervisor and was generous with his time and teaching for the eight years I worked under him in the Oil Sands Department. What I admired about Richard was his belief that both industry and government could work together to effectively manage the resource. I learned a great many valuable lessons from Richard for which I am very thankful. My condolences to his loved ones. He will be missed.

DEAR SILVIJA AND FAMLY…….PLEASE ACCEPT OUR SYMPATHY ……WE KNOW THAT YOUR HEARTS ARE HEAVY AND THE SORROW IS GREAT…RICHARD/DAD….WAS AND WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED FOR HIS QUICK SMILE..BRIGHT SMILING EYES AND HUMOUR.

WE ARE WITH YOU IN HEART AND PRAYERS…..LORETTA/GLEN/SARAH /SCOTT

Dear Silvija and family

So sorry for your loss. Richard was a wonderful person, I was privileged to work so closely with him since my day one in tailings group. He was more than a mentor to me, a friend who shares all his knowledge in work and wisdom in life with us, who cares us like a father. He will be dearly missed.

My thoughts are with you.

Richard was a knowledgeable and helpful colleague, and a true Irish gentleman – kind and friendly, but with a mischievous sparkle in his eye. He will be sorely missed. All the best to his family in this difficult time.

“May you have warm words on a cold evening,

a full moon on a dark night,

and the road downhill all the way to your door.”

I am so sorry to hear of Richard’s passing. I had the pleasure of working for Richard in the early 80’s in the oil sands processing section and through the years had occasion to chat with him. He was a great source of knowledge and always had the time to help work through a problem. I will miss him. My condolences to you Silvija and your family at this sad time.

Bonnie and I were deeply saddened to hear of Richard’s premature passing. Richard was a wonderful coworker and a great friend. Our daughter Cyrena loved to spend time with Vita as neighbours in Parkland and is also saddened that he is no longer with us. Please accept our kind condolences.

It is with great sadness I offer condolences to the family and loved ones of Richard. He will be missed by the many people whose lives he touched. I had the pleasure of working closely alongside Richard for many years where he was extremely helpful and supportive. Richard was kind, patient and dedicated to his work. He was always happy and had a quick wit; we shared many a chuckle while working on serous topics. I am thankful for the time and wisdom he shared with me and I benefited greatly from knowing him. I realise he was far from family during his time in Fort McMurray, but he was a great asset to many of us there and his guidance and advice was invaluable. I will miss him and hope that those who knew him are comforted by the thought that he is no longer suffering.

How I wish I could attend and hug you all! Know you continue to be in my prayers Love, Lorraine from the STATES!

To the Houlihan family,

I worked (and rowed!) with Richard in Fort McMurray for a few years, and he always struck me as a man who lived well, and loved his family. Always a gentleman.

You have my sympathy,

Richard was not only a co-worker for me. He was my mentor, a cubicle neighbor, and a good friend. I will never forget the times we’ve spent working on tailings together and fighting the good fight. His advice and guidance will never be forgotten. He was a great man and he will be missed dearly.

I hope you all find peace in knowing he is in a better place now. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Take care,

I am really sorry to hear of Richard’s passing. I reviewed Richard’s expense statements when we were ERCB/AER and I really liked working with him. He was so nice. My prayers and thoughts are with you and your family at this time.

I was saddened to hear of the passing of Richard. I recently spent some time working with him on AER’s tailings regulatory management initiative. In the 1990s I worked in the Oilsands Department of the ERCB where he was the manager of that department. I remember his commitment to regulatory work and his willingness to entertain a discussion about technical matters and to share his life experiences.

He will be missed by many. My sincere condolences to Richard’s family. May God bless all of you during this difficult time.

I was saddened to hear the news about Richard. We worked together at the EUB on many files and hearings. He was a very talented, competent individual that always pulled his weight and great to work with. My prayers are with the family.

I am so sorry to hear of Richard’s passing. Richard fought an incredibly brave battle with cancer over these last years and I was truly amazed at his strength and positive outlook no matter what the obstacles. I have so many fond memories of working for and with Richard over the last 30 years. He was an important mentor and a most supportive colleague and friend to me over the past 3 decades and I will miss him dearly. My deepest sympathies to Sylvija and his children at this difficult time.

I am so sorry to hear of Richard’s passing. Richard was such a kind and smart man. I will miss running into him at the office as he always greeted everyone with a big smile. I have know Richard through work for over 30 years. He will be missed. My deepest sympathies to Richards family. Take care.

Dear Silvija, Vita, Connor,Sara, and Peter.

We are so sorry to hear this sad news. Richard was a kind, wonderful man, who always saw the good in people. He put up a very courageous fight, which was in keeping with the sort of man he was. We have great memories of times spent with Richard and Sil.

Please know we are thinking of you and send love your way.

Linda and Bill

Dearest Sil and family…

Heartfelt sympathies to you all, as Richard goes forward to his comfort zone above. Mend gently.

Love and peace,

Maureen

To Silvija and the Houlihan family,

I am so sorry to hear of Richard’s untimely death, my deepest condolences. My fondest memories of Richard were always at our family gatherings. He was an engaging, intelligent, and funny man who always made you feel welcome. What I’ll remember most is his ready smile and laugh, being quick to tell a story or joke, and of course that wonderful accent. He will be dearly missed. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. Užuojauta.