John Richard (Dick) Proctor

Dick’s earliest reading included the sports pages of the Globe and Mail. To sleeping parents: “Guess who won the game last night? Who were the three stars?” Dick would become a sports reporter at the Globe.

When he was 10, his parents, Clem (1909 - 1969) and Jackie (nee Jolly, 1914-1989), moved from Willowdale to a dairy farm in Prince Edward County. Dick completed grades 5-8 in a one-room schoolhouse, did his share of farm chores and was a 4-H member.

He captained hockey teams in Wellington and Picton, quarterbacked the PECI football team, and anchored the senior boys 4 x 110 yard relay team, which set a Central Ontario Secondary School record.

He spent memorable summers as a camper, then counsellor, at Camp Sharbot for Boys, where he enjoyed canoe-camping and swimming. His university summers were spent as a lifeguard-camp ranger at Sandbanks Provincial Park.

Dick graduated in journalism from Carleton, where he was news and sports editor of the student newspaper and played varsity hockey.

He worked at the Edmonton Journal, Toronto Telegram, CBC and the Globe and Mail.

Later, he spent a decade in the labour movement, where he was employed by CUPE, NUPGE and, in Latin America, with the CLC.

Much of Dick’s life was spent working to advance the NDP. It was his great privilege to work closely with four esteemed Party leaders – Stephen Lewis, Ontario, Premier Allan Blakeney, Saskatchewan, and Federal leaders Ed Broadbent and Jack Layton. He served as the NDP’s Federal Secretary and the Saskatchewan NDP’s Provincial Secretary.

With federal NDP fortunes at an all-time low following the 1993 election, Dick sought the Party’s nomination for the Palliser riding in Saskatchewan. He was elected to the House of Commons in 1997, re-elected in 2000. He was caucus chair for five years and the Party’s spokesman for agriculture, defence, labour and sports.

On an airplane in 1998, he overheard Canada’s Solicitor-General pre-judging an inquiry into the actions of both the Prime Minister’s Office and the RCMP at the 1997 Asia Pacific Economic-Co-operation conference in Vancouver. “Hughie’s (RCMP Sgt. Hugh Stewart) gonna have to take the fall,” the Minister told his seatmate, but after Dick raised the matter in the House, it was the Minister who resigned.

Dick married his incomparable wife and best friend, Merran (nee Moreau), in 1986. As a young mother, Merran finished high school, worked a variety of jobs, earned a BA, and won an M.A. scholarship at Queens — with three kids in tow.

When their courtship began in 1984, Merran was an accomplished civil servant. A highlight of her career came in 1992, when she was named Saskatchewan’s Deputy Minister of Labour. The two loved raising a family, traveling together, and talking politics over cappuccinos in bed.

They retired to Victoria in 2005, where Dick played hockey into his 80s,embraced racquet ball and played the piano - not well, but daily.

Dick died peacefully in his home, surrounded by family, thankful for access to MAID.

He is fondly remembered by Merran; children, Jacquelyn Proctor (Brendan Holm; and shiny new baby, Merran Simone), Benn Proctor (Margaux Samis; and their loving, laughing daughter, Blair, 8), Alexandra Twigg, Cynthia

Davison (Ian Battle), Monique Twigg (Edgardo Sepulveda), and Gordon Twigg (Melanie); siblings, Peter (Barb) and Betty (Heather Hughes); grandchildren, great-grandchildren, cousins, nieces and nephews.

So long to close friends, Norm Simon, Gary Woodbeck, Reid Manore, Graham Thompson, Rick Reid, Bill Bolstad, Joyce Crew, Deb McDonald, Peter Spurr, Walter Jess, Gerry Caplan and Bill Knight.

Former MP Dennis Gruending and Roberta Webster provided superb assistance to Dick on Parliament Hill, together with Stacey Landin in the riding.

Dick will miss Saturday coffee with Merran’s brother, Brian Moreau (Andrea Chorney).

The Halibut Burger Boys monthly luncheon was a wonderful way to keep learning about federal and provincial issues, while loathing the grifting, shambolic US president and the American electorate, that appeases, not apprehends.

“This is the great theatre of life. Admission is free, but the taxation is mortal. Come when you can and leave when you must. The show is continuous.” - Robertson Davies

Ok Dad, we’ll take it from here. Merran loved you deeply and we did too.

Please join us in celebrating the life of Dick Proctor:

Friday, September 18th, 2026 at 2:00 p.m (PST). First Memorial Funeral Service, 1155 Fort Street, Victoria B.C. OR

Saturday, October 10th, 2026 at 1:00 p.m (EST) at Wellington and District Community Centre. 111 Belleville Street, Wellington, Ontario.

In lieu of flowers, we welcome donations to BC Cancer or a charity of your choice.