Obituary of Richard Boland

Richard Boland, or Rick as he was known by his friends, family and the larger community, passed peacefully away on January 30, 2024  in St. John’s, NL.

Family will greet people at 10:00 AM at Sacred Heart Church, Main Street, Curling on Saturday, June !^{s t}. with the Eulogy at 10:20 followed by The Liturgy of the Word beginning at 10:30 AM and burial at Mt Cecelia Cemetery. We are grateful to Sacred Heart Parish for welcoming Rick home to his final resting place.

Rick was born and raised in Curling, Corner Brook and moved to St. John’s for university in 1971. From a very young age Rick lived as if “all my life's a stage". As a teenager, Rick was part of the Corner Brook improv theatre scene where he fine tuned the chemistry of making people laugh and feel accepted. Moving to St. John's presented Rick with bigger stages in all kind of ways, and his artistic depth and opportunities flourished, as did his engagement in social justice issues, gay rights advocacy, and other community issues. The university part did not take so well! There were too many other interesting things for Rick to do!

So many people describe Rick as an icon and a gift to the theater community in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. His contributions made an impact both on the stage and through written word in many of the plays and articles he produced. Some of Rick's performances included "Daddy What's a Train?", “High Steel”, and movies such as “Finding Mary March”, “The Divine Ryans”, “Extraordinary Visitor”, and of course “Hatching, Matching and Dispatching.” His passion for the history of our province, its people and culture, was evident in his creative writing and research for numerous stage productions, and co-writings, such as Rising Tide Theatre’s “The Trinity Pageant” created with good friend and producer Donna Butt and of course the ever popular yearly production of “Revue”.

Rick believed that if you were part of a community, you ought to be engaged in the needs of that, and make it a better place for all. Some of his contributions were to the Waterford River area, The Native Friendship Center (now First Light), the NL AIDS Committee, the NDP and the LGBTQ community. He was a compassionate and caring person to many who needed a friend and shelter. 

Rick is predeceased by his parents Jean (Brown) and Michael Boland, his partner Joe Furey, brother-in-law Steve Power, nephew Sean, and many aunts and uncles and cousins on both sides of the family.

Rick's legacy and stories will be proudly remembered by his sisters Bobbie (Bill Duggan), Patricia (Jeff Baker), Shelley, and Maria, and brothers Gerry, Leo, and Tony (Michele). He was Uncle Rick to a number of nieces and nephews carrying forward the Boland name, Anita, Josh, Leo, Brandon, Jonah, Kevin and Toni, as well as Daniel Baker, Stephen and Sarah Power, and Ana and Daniel Duggan. Also feeling deeply the loss of Rick’s vibrant presence in our world, are his chosen families of performing artists, community activists, the NDP, his neighbours and friend Wayne O'Leary who helped care for Rick.

We ask that, if possible for you, please donate to the Mount Cecelia Cemetery Fund at Sacred Heart Church.