Kathleen Richardier

Kathleen Richardier – known to all as “Kathy” – was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, USA. She spent her early years in Devon, a quiet town outside Philadelphia. After high school, she attended Penn State University in Philadelphia, from whence she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Arts. Following university, Kathy followed her generation’s pattern of travelling to Europe, where she met a dashing young Frenchman named Francois. Having himself emigrated to the United States, Kathy rekindled the relationship and they were ultimately married. Shortly after their marriage, they moved to Canada, first to Sherbrooke, Quebec, and then took a long train trip across Canada to Calgary, where Francois had secured a job offer.

While Kathy had majored in the fine arts of painting and sculpture, it was her interest in writing that gave her a career in her new surroundings. As a freelancer, she worked for a number of small companies and organizations but found her footing at the Calgary Sun and Herald as a restaurant reviewer, a position she held for a great many years. It was during this time she gave birth to a beautiful daughter, Chloe, on whom she doted and loved unconditionally to the very last day.

As with many others, Kathy and Francois parted ways after a number of years, and she saw the need to get on more firmer footing in the writing world, co-founding The City Palate, a magazine dedicated to the local Calgary food and drink scene – though eventually “local” expanded to include dining and drinking on her travels to Spain, Dubai, Hawaii and Honduras! Kathy worked with the Palate for over 23 years, until 2019, enjoying knowing and helping all the writers she met during that time. During this time, she competed professionally in Southern-US style BBQ events, principally with Ron Shewchuk’s “Rockin’ Ronnie and the Butt Shredders”, even winning in American competitions – no mean feat for a Canadian! Kathy instilled in many of us a love of BBQ, boozy cocktails, humorous words and a spontaneity – a joie de vivre – for “random events”, seizing opportunities for fun and adventure that wandered into her day.

Following the end of the Palate, Kathy retired from regular writing, travelling and spending time with her friends and new husband, Douglas Proctor, a Calgary oil and gas geologist. They were happily together for 18 years, living quietly – but always with good food and wine!

For all her life, Kathy was a compassionate woman who never dwelt on a bad situation, moving on, saying people and things are “what they are”, leaving troubles behind, focusing on the better days ahead. Outgoing and witty, she was well known for her habit of never mincing words, and had a huge vocabulary to choose the appropriate word or phrase! She loved her daughter, husband and friends deeply to the very end. All who knew her, worked with her, had any interaction with her, will miss her warmth and charm tremendously, only helped by the gift of wonderful memories she gave to all of us.

A Memorial Service will be held at FOSTER’S GARDEN CHAPEL, 3220 – 4 Street N.W., Calgary (across from Queen’s Park Cemetery) on Sunday, September 24, 2023 at 2:00 p.m.