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Judith McGill posted a condolence
Saturday, April 10, 2021
FROM JOHN FAIRLEY… “ Richard was on the Board of Community Living for 25 years. He was a friend and mentor to many of us. He was my most solid supporter, calling me daily when the pandemic first hit just to see if I was okay. Richard was a well known and highly respected activist. He was the President of both People First of Ontario and People First of Canada as well as starting a local chapter of People First here in Windsor. Richard travelled both nationally and internationally to help encourage the formation of People First Chapters. He was also an avid advocate of the closure of institutions and was involved in The Freedom Tour, a documentary made in partnership with the National Film Board which was released in 2008. The film documented the trip of a group of advocates across the Prairies, where stories of people who survived the institutions were discovered and filmed. Richard participated as an advocate and an interviewer. In addition to all of his accomplishments Richard was an ardent supporter of respectful language and the right to self-determination. He believed strongly that people needed to be heard, that people need to be given information in plain/accessible language and that the words used to describe people mattered. At his heart, Richard was an incredibly kind man, who always had time for people who needed him, and all the patience in the world to listen. Community Living Windsor, the city of Windsor, the province of Ontario and our country has lost a great man. He will leave a huge void and will be missed. May we all learn from the tremendous example he set.” From Melodie Cook Executive Director Community Living Windsor”
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David Hasbury posted a condolence
Saturday, April 10, 2021
I am so grateful to hear your reflections Marlyn. Richard’s relationships with you, Malcolm, and Dom, along with his admiration, respect for, and relationship with Peter Park and Pat Worth, provided a foundation of respect and belief in Richard, that made it possible for him to truly make a difference. He made a difference in the lives of individual people, many whose voices and ways of speaking would never have been heard, and for a much wider swath of people in Ontario, and across Canada, who desired and deserved to simply be treated as fellow citizens, neighbours, friends, and colleagues.
I know how important Richard’s relationships in Windsor have always been. They grounded him in what needed to be different, and in what was possible. I know that people like Michelle Friesen and the Family Support network, saw Richard as compadre, an ally and friend who could and would listen, and be able to articulate what was important in the lives of the sons and daughters who they love, and carry these voices into community conversations with self advocates across the province, and into the policy places he would find his way into. I know that Richard’s experience and passion were recognized by Malcolm as essential to Community Living Windsor’s future, and that Xavier carried this forward in his years as leader.
I was truly blessed to walk alongside Richard through his years as President of People First of Ontario. I was in awe of his wisdom and passion. I watched first hand his deep respect for the wisdom of the elders in the movement, his relationship with Peter Park in particular was filled with love and respect. He would turn to Peter for wise guidance, and Peter recognized the future in Richard. I watched Richard carry on this role as mentor to his friends in People First of Windsor, and in his guidance and support of the rising leadership Barb Folk, and Rose Barko. In this experience with Richard, and the wider People First movement I witnessed that how exclusion means that the mainstream culture is missing out on the gifts of people that are excluded. I experienced how Marg McLean as Provincial Advisor, knew the importance of Richard’s gut level passion and compassion for mobilizing people.
Richard’s personal commitment to wade through the hard parts, in search of what is desired and rightly deserved, leaves me with the feeling that his was a life well lived, imperfect and whole in its imperfection. I always felt respected by Richard, and I in turn always felt respect for him. I loved my opportunity to work with him, and it remains a significant part of forming who I am and how I see the world.
My heart goes to all who are experiencing Richard’s passing all too soon.
Peace.
Dave Hasbury
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Judith McGill posted a condolence
Saturday, April 10, 2021
On my second day of work at Family Service Windsor in 1991, Jan Brown, Jeff Phillips and I were walking downtown to grab some lunch and as we got closer we could see people with visible disabilities. They were sitting in their wheelchairs with cut out bleach bottles begging for money for the program they were part of. It was a 90 degree day and they had no water. The volunteers who stood beside them on every corner were just as hot and exhausted as the folks they were with! It was disgusting! I called Malcolm Jeffrey’s at Community Living Windsor and, as you can imagine, I lost it! He told me to get in touch with Richard and told me where I could find him! I hung up the phone and went to find this Richard Ruston! I found him, let him know Malcolm suggested I talk with him and then passionately told him what was happening and he was looking at me with that Richard look of: What the . . .? Richard did come with me downtown and spoke with some of the folks in a way that only Richard could! He was so upset!
We talked about what to do and People of Windsor began! At that time the money for the program that people were raising money for ran through Community Living Windsor and so Richard wrote his first People First letter to Malcolm saying that nobody with a disability should have to beg for money on street corners! He wrote about the conditions that these folks were placed in and that many of them were not able to communicate – that the volunteers had to do it for them! By the end of the that same day, Richard personally handed that letter to Malcolm and Malcolm took it from there. It never happened again.
Richard’s involvement and leadership with People First brought changes to CLW’s Employment Program, People First along with other autonomous advocacy groups – Windsor Essex Family Network and Family and Friends (a seniors advocacy group) were offered office space. He headed up a project in Windsor “Keeping Your Dreams Alive” – he met with many people labelled with a developmental disability, assisting them to think about their life – where they wanted to live, to work and what they wanted to be involved in in their community. People began to speak up and stand for what they wanted!
Richard was the People First rep on our local restructuring group. He ensured that ministry reps, service providers, family and community members knew that people needed to be in the ‘directors’ chair. Everyone can direct their life, even people who don’t speak like me as he would say and urged others to listen to them, listen, listen! He believed in individualized funding so that people could live their lives in the way they chose to with the support of their family and friends. He recognized that paid support was necessary but should never replace family and friends. Richard believed in individualized funding. He believed in planning outside the service agencies and, as a founding board member, was instrumental in starting Windsor Essex Brokerage for Personal Supports. Richard was very clear about the values and principles from which “Brokerage” was to operate.
He withstood claims that Individualized funding (IF) would be the demise of programs and that, because he could speak, individualized funding would work for him but not for others. Mike Harris (Ontario Premier at the time) created a policy paper Making Services Work for People. We began to think about what would be needed to give people and their trusted family and friends more control in their lives. Windsor and Essex began a very difficult restructuring process. Richard, Michelle Friesen, Malcolm and I were invited to Thunderbay to talk about why we were restructuring, what had happened to date and where we wanted to go next. Malcom was making his part of the presentation and in the middle of that presentation, ED’s (Malcom’s colleagues) got up and left. Richard said to me after we got home from Thunderbay – “Malcolm, you and Michelle Friesen were treated just the same way I have been treated most of my life – we were all dismissed”!
Richard always had one foot solidly in Windsor with People First of Windsor but also became involved with People First of Ontario and then with People First of Canada.
Richard was my colleague – his mentoring, guidance, leadership – those learnings I have never forgotten and work to understand and listen, listen, listen to folks as they determine their life paths and involvement in their neighbourhoods and communities.
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Judith McGill uploaded photo(s)
Saturday, April 10, 2021
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Judith McGill posted a condolence
Saturday, April 10, 2021
Xavier Noordermeer:
It is with profound sadness that I am writing to let you know that Richard Ruston passed away in hospital last night at the age of 55. He had been in the hospital a few weeks. Unfortunately he contracted COVID in the hospital and died of complications from COVID.
Richard was on the Board of Community Living for 25 years. He was a friend and mentor to many of us. He was my most solid supporter, calling me daily when the pandemic first hit, just to see if I was okay.
Richard was a well known and highly respected activist. He was the President of both People First of Ontario and People First of Canada as well as starting a local chapter of People First here in Windsor. Richard travelled both nationally and internationally to help encourage the formation of People First Chapters. He was also an avid advocate of the closure of institutions and was involved in The Freedom Tour, a documentary made in partnership with the National Film Board which was released in 2008. The film documented the trip of a group of advocates across the Prairies, where stories of people who survived the institutions were discovered and filmed. Richard participated as an advocate and an interviewer.
In addition to all of his accomplishments Richard was an ardent supporter of respectful language and the right to self-determination. He believed strongly that people needed to be heard, that people need to be given information in plain/accessible language and that the words used to describe people mattered.
At his heart, Richard was an incredibly kind man, who always had time for people who needed him, and all the patience in the world to listen.
Community Living Windsor, the city of Windsor, the province of Ontario and our country has lost a great man. He will leave a huge void and will be missed. May we all learn from the tremendous example he set. Melodie
“To live in the hearts of those we leave behind is not to die.”~ Thomas Campbell
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Judith McGill posted a condolence
Saturday, April 10, 2021
Judith McGill
Richard: a loyal friend and advocate. He suffered and had the courage to speak out of his own lived experiences. Richard grew up in the People First Movement. He never stopped acknowledging Pat Worth and Peter Park who founded People First. He had so much humility. He had a lot to overcome in his own life and family and yet he was very determined. Once he set his mind on something he was unstoppable. His courage was amazing. He was unfaltering in his commitment to bringing attention to those who use complex ways of communicating what they are feeling and thinking. He was not afraid of taking on systems and knew what it took to build safeguards so that People First could not be coerced into inaction. He was a leader in the People First movement. That was not easy. There were lots of dynamics that make standing up tall and being heard difficult. He was a man who did the best he could. He had a deep compassion for others. He was passionate about people having their rights acknowledged and honoured. He always tilted his head when he needed to share a painful story or tell a difficult truth that others did not want to hear., clear sorrowful eyes so profound that no-one could doubt his words and their meaning.
May he know his worth. May others remember his courage and determination to bring more love and inclusion into the world. May we live by his example.
_______________________________________
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Chris Beesley posted a condolence
Saturday, April 10, 2021
On behalf of Community Living Ontario, I'd like to express our condolences to the Ruston family. Richard was a leader and a role model to everyone who knew him. He will truly be missed.
Chris Beesley
CEO, Community Living Ontario
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Janet Beck posted a condolence
Wednesday, April 7, 2021
Sincerest sympathies to all who knew Richard. Richard was a great role model to all those who knew him. He had great passion and dedication to his beliefs. He offered much encouragement to his followers. I enjoyed our time together doing his interview for Media Explosion. Richard has left his mark and legacy with us. We were blessed to know him and let us follow his example.
RIP Richard. You will always be with us in our memories and your many accomplishments.
Thinking of you. Janet Beck
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Viv Kokic posted a condolence
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
I have known Richard for many years first meeting him back when I first started working for Community Living Windsor. He was a kind man and always willing to help out those around him who needed him.
When he moved on to begin his journey to help others find their voices and insist on change in all our communities, little did I know that he would grow to be such a strong advocate for people and change across this province.
Every time I saw him, he would greet me with a hug and a smile and would enthusiastically fill me in on the latest project he was working on to continue to change people's lives for the better. Our work has grown and changed because of advocates like him who look to better ways to be challenged and included in this thing we call life. From better housing, to better education, and dignified jobs and a society where everyone is included and valued for their skills and gifts, Richard had his hand and heart in every one of them.
Rest in peace Richard, you are one of the many people I will not forget that I have met over the years as I navigate my career with Community Living Windsor.
Viv Kokic
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Shineeca mcleod posted a symbolic gesture
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
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Richard was a good friend good advocate i met him 5 year ago at the falls he really encourage me to continue to be advocate for people rights he really care about people always put people’s need frist he had a good heart he will be missed lots Rest In Peace my friend☹️☹️☹️☹️
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