Monday, November 21, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Moments After
Dad,
Moments after you left I gave you a shave. It had been several days since your last one. Mum had either gone home for or sent for some things earlier. I kept the shaving cream for a while and now I always use citrus shave foam. I just wanted you to know that I thought about that today.
Still miss you.
-J
Moments after you left I gave you a shave. It had been several days since your last one. Mum had either gone home for or sent for some things earlier. I kept the shaving cream for a while and now I always use citrus shave foam. I just wanted you to know that I thought about that today.
Still miss you.
-J
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Quotes
These are some gems that my old man would use.
"Never trust the guy who says TRUST ME!"
"If a guy wants credit look at his shoes. If he works he's good if he doesn't he isn't"
"The squeaky wheel gets the grease...But SOMETIMES, The squeaky wheel just gets fucking replaced."
"Never trust the guy who says TRUST ME!"
"If a guy wants credit look at his shoes. If he works he's good if he doesn't he isn't"
"The squeaky wheel gets the grease...But SOMETIMES, The squeaky wheel just gets fucking replaced."
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Eulogy for a Father
Read at The Memorial Ceremony August 8th 2006
Eulogy for Father.
I’m John Davies and Dick Davies is my Father. I’m going to try my best to keep from referring to him as “dad” but if I slip here or there…apologies in advance.
Dicks life started out simple enough. He was born on August 27th, 1923 in Seattle Washington. Though his Father Marion had already moved to Vancouver, my Grandmother Peg insisted on remaining behind and giving birth in the U.S. “So that he could one day be President.” Little did she know that one day her son would be president…not of a country but of a little company called Northcoast…but that is another story.
He spent his formative years in what is now known as the west side. Fortunately for everyone, the term “juvenile delinquent” had not yet been coined. It is rumored that he and his sister Babs had been known to occasionally grease up the tracks of the #7 Dunbar streetcar…but that has never actually been proven.
As a teenager and all “full of piss and vinegar”, “Hell bent for Leather” or whatever cliché you chose, he volunteered to join the Canadian Army at the outbreak of the second world war. The decision to put ones self in harms way “for king and country” is not an easy one and is never reached lightly. His reasons were his own.
He started his basic training in Canada and was quickly shipped overseas to England for completion. He might have been a little evasive about his actual birth date when he joined the army but he quickly came of age in the service. His experiences in the Canadian forces in Europe during the war were varied and ranged from utter ridiculousness to abject horror.
Of all the souvenirs that he picked up during his time at war the most valuable ones were the wisdom and sense of confidence he found in himself that allowed him to find that elusive balancing point between self reliance and dependence on others. Leadership, teamwork…all these lessons would serve him well in later life.
Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night
by: Dylan Thomas
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
As was true of many enlistees he went to war a boy but returned a man. “Angry and Young” but a man nonetheless.
Living with extended family in Kerisdale for a short time near the end of the 40’s., he began what would become a long line of many small companies and business endeavors. Some of which were more lucrative than others…none of which still exist today. But just like Thomas Edison he has never failed. He has merely succeeded in discovering the many thousand ways that won't work. Through all this he honed and keened his business instincts but never lost touch with his entrepreneurial spirit.
He moved his growing family to the then seemingly rural municipality of West Vancouver in the early 50’s, clearing lots by hand and building houses as he went. It was around this time that he enjoyed an extended flirtation with provincial politics. Thank god for all of us that it was just kept at that.
His need for a creative outlet led him to many hobbies and pastimes, some of which would develop into true passions. Building, Landscaping, gardening and cooking to mention only a few.
“If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;”
And so began the next chapter. In 1954 dick had this crazy idea about starting a lumber trading company. He had had a bit of experience in the field while working for the Scott family business. Fate had found him “between jobs” as it were and word had gotten out that Davies was on the market. Job offers began to come in…offers that made his previous salary pale in comparison. While many would have accepted such offers, for Dick, they only served to get the old gears grinding…”If these guys can pay me this kind of money and still expect to make a profit…I wonder what kind of money I’ll be able to pay myself.” And so began Northcoast Lumber as it was referred to back then.
Pooling all of his resources and calling in every last favor that he was owed…and some that he wasn’t…he began to develop a business plan. It went something like this…
“hmm…I need a business plan…planning…not exactly my strong suit…who do I know that can plan?”
It was then that he began to surround himself with people whose strengths augmented his own.
Though a true visionary in life, those who know him know that he has the capacity…nay the tendency, to spend money like a drunken solider out on a 48 hr pass. Owing mostly to his many years of personal experience in that very arena.
Enter J.T. Scott. No one was better suited to the insurmountable task of reigning in Dicks exuberance. J.T’s fiscal responsibility was the stuff of legend. However the partnership would not be complete without the grounded pragmatist. Enter then Dave Clarke.
As a threesome these man brought to the table the essential ingredients that lead to an extraordinary partnership that lasted over three decades. As strong as each individual was the sum of their parts was far stronger still. They shared an agreed upon philosophy that made for a complex and unique decision making process. It could be summed up as “Two out of three is good enough for me.” And it went something like this…
Dick: “Hey guys…on my last trip to Taiwan I ran into a guy that can get us rocking chairs dirt cheap”
Dave: “Dick the guys don’t know anything about selling rocking chairs.”
JT after looking at the details of the transaction scribbled on a cocktail napkin: “Dave these things really are dirt cheap”
Dick: “See! What’d I tell ya…these things will sell themselves…I mean who doesn’t like rocking chairs”
Dave: “Whatever…”
Ok this is a bad example but it gives you an idea. The tremendous trust and mutual respect coupled with the faith to defer to collective wisdom always resulted in a unanimous decision. That and knowing that if things went sideways you were only really in to it for a third.
Northcoast went on to become a leader in the world of lumber and building products sales, and keeping to tradition Northcoast has always been on the leading edge when it comes to new and innovative products.
But this didn’t make Northcoast the company that it is today. It was the many people, employees, shareholders clients and even suppliers and other associates past and present, that shaped Northcoast into the organization that it is today. Though never a true family business, it’s employees have always shared that close knit feeling of togetherness and family.
Many cite the firm but caring leadership of Dick Davies for the company’s continued success. But I think it’s success lies in the original principal upon which the company was founded; the concept of finding and using the strength of others to augment your own. We all work as a cohesive unit even though our individual roles have never been clearly defined. This carte blanche job description was a technique that was seemingly pioneered by Dick Davies and has proven to be quite confusing to some new staff…but those who get it…get it. We are all part of the team…not just in title but in day to day function. Like the apparently contradictory lessons of self reliance tempered by faith and dependence on others that Dick learned in his experience in the army, true team work requires personal responsibility as well as trust and that is the true legacy of Dicks leadership style. May it continue to serve Northcoast well for many years to come.
Lets go back again in time…
1963 – Hugh Hefners Penthouse, New York city. Ok…so it wasn’t Hefs pad in New York…but to a young dental hygienist from Portland Oregon it was all the same. The night Dick and Ruth met…Picture a party of mutual friends that all lived in an apartment building somewhere in the West end of Vancouver. Ruth and her Sister Jennie are sitting comfortably by the window checking out the action. Dick enters the apartment. Ruth nudges Jennie and gestures towards dick…”oooh oooh That’s the man I’m going to Marry”
Despite the boldness of this statement, Ruth was unable to speak to Dick that night as he was constantly surrounded by an endless parade of friends , colleagues and other women.
So she developed a plan…She had gathered that he lived in the same building as her a few floors up. As it was a bachelors apartment she knew that he had to leave sometime. So she waited…He left for work and she noted the time. She knew what car he drove at the time so she waited by the window for its evening return. Knowing that he would stop on the first floor on his way up from the garage to check for mail she lept into action. Jumping into the elevator and racing to the ground floor she timed it just right so that she would already be there when he got on. Sadly this happened more than a dozen times before an actual conversation ensued.
Dick struggled with the idea of how to introduce Ruth to the rest of his children. In the summer of 1964 it happened. On a boat trip up the sunshine coast Ruth met the family. The ice was broken when the boat hit a patch of rip tide off of point Aktinson. The seas got heavy and everyone rushed about to batten down the hatches, returning to the relative safety of the small galley near the center of gravity. Sea sickness began to turn the stomachs of even the most seaworthy. A particularly large wave hit and the contents of the small oven spilled forth. When the baked beans hit the floor everyone hit the side rails and everything was ok after that.
As time progressed Ruth met more and more of the people in Dicks life. But she was having a time telling who were friends who was family and who were business associates. You see, Dick never made any differentiation between the three groups of people. Business associates, be they partners, employees or clients were always introduced with the same care reserved for close friends and family. Close friends and family were introduced with the same respect given business associates. Dad once told me that you can tell a lot about a man by the quality of the friendships one forges in the course of ones life. But I also feel that a case can be made for the amount of overlapping relationships that one has. I mean who wouldn’t want to go to work with a bunch of your best friends or have a serious family discussion with the same amount of respect that one gives and receives on the job or trust your friends as though they were family. Dick had the good fortune to have all of this and loved everyone who was a part of his life.
Dick and Ruth got married and had a few more kids…lucky for Sarah and I. We enjoyed many good times growing up…Pender Harbor, Palm Springs, hours of what seemed like meaningless work in whatever monster garden that dad had let take over the backyard. But we learned…the whole time we learned. We didn’t know it at the time but all of the experiences and times that dad saw and lived went into making us the adults that we are today. Words cannot express my gratitude.
At age 69, back in 1992 he was fortunate enough to meet some friends that changed his life once again. Though this relationship had a great impact upon him and his life it was a private one. I believe that Dicks friend Dave Purvis is better suited to speak about this phase of his life and I will leave that to him except to say that we are all very grateful that Dad was able to spend his last years with the clarity of thought and peace of mind that he deserved.
Despite challenging health issues Dick was able to make the most of his short retirement. Travel was always important to him, developing the bug back in the 60’s and 70’s with many business trips overseas to the east and to the West Indies. Recently, he had been able to travel for pleasure and it was with great pride and joy that he attended the 60th anniversary of the d-day landing on Juno beach in Normandy. His tour after the celebration included a road trip along the route that his unit took through France Belgium and Holland. A short cruise with family earlier this year will be fondly remembered.
The final chapter in Dicks life is a short one but it is perhaps the most meaningful. Several weeks ago, Dick, Ruth and the whole family returned to Pender Harbour on the sunshine coast to mark their 37th wedding anniversary. Pender was the site of many good family memories as well as being the location of Dick and Ruth’s Honeymoon. What made this anniversary special is that Dick and Ruth chose to renew their wedding vows. I’d like to read a small section of the Recommitment Ceremony that took place on July 14th.
It started with a reminder of the wedding vows exchanged 37 years ago…and went on
That was the wedding…the beginning of the journey. Today you both have certain knowledge of the last nearly four decades. You have experienced the better and the worse; the richer and the poorer; the sickness and the health; the joy and the sorrow. And even so, before those gathered here, you are saying, I would chose to marry you again today. That is a testament of love.
It went on from there but the most beautiful part of the whole ceremony is that the message of taking the good with the bad, the richer with the poorer the sickness with the health was so relevant to Dick. The one side of the coin exists in opposition to the other. Up has down, joy has sorrow. It is the experience of the negative that makes the positive that much sweeter.
How can you ever truly appreciate the good in life without first experiencing the bad?
That was how Dick Davies lived his whole life…that is how he knew that he truly had it all…that is the story of his life.
Eulogy for Father.
I’m John Davies and Dick Davies is my Father. I’m going to try my best to keep from referring to him as “dad” but if I slip here or there…apologies in advance.
Dicks life started out simple enough. He was born on August 27th, 1923 in Seattle Washington. Though his Father Marion had already moved to Vancouver, my Grandmother Peg insisted on remaining behind and giving birth in the U.S. “So that he could one day be President.” Little did she know that one day her son would be president…not of a country but of a little company called Northcoast…but that is another story.
He spent his formative years in what is now known as the west side. Fortunately for everyone, the term “juvenile delinquent” had not yet been coined. It is rumored that he and his sister Babs had been known to occasionally grease up the tracks of the #7 Dunbar streetcar…but that has never actually been proven.
As a teenager and all “full of piss and vinegar”, “Hell bent for Leather” or whatever cliché you chose, he volunteered to join the Canadian Army at the outbreak of the second world war. The decision to put ones self in harms way “for king and country” is not an easy one and is never reached lightly. His reasons were his own.
He started his basic training in Canada and was quickly shipped overseas to England for completion. He might have been a little evasive about his actual birth date when he joined the army but he quickly came of age in the service. His experiences in the Canadian forces in Europe during the war were varied and ranged from utter ridiculousness to abject horror.
Of all the souvenirs that he picked up during his time at war the most valuable ones were the wisdom and sense of confidence he found in himself that allowed him to find that elusive balancing point between self reliance and dependence on others. Leadership, teamwork…all these lessons would serve him well in later life.
Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night
by: Dylan Thomas
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
As was true of many enlistees he went to war a boy but returned a man. “Angry and Young” but a man nonetheless.
Living with extended family in Kerisdale for a short time near the end of the 40’s., he began what would become a long line of many small companies and business endeavors. Some of which were more lucrative than others…none of which still exist today. But just like Thomas Edison he has never failed. He has merely succeeded in discovering the many thousand ways that won't work. Through all this he honed and keened his business instincts but never lost touch with his entrepreneurial spirit.
He moved his growing family to the then seemingly rural municipality of West Vancouver in the early 50’s, clearing lots by hand and building houses as he went. It was around this time that he enjoyed an extended flirtation with provincial politics. Thank god for all of us that it was just kept at that.
His need for a creative outlet led him to many hobbies and pastimes, some of which would develop into true passions. Building, Landscaping, gardening and cooking to mention only a few.
“If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;”
And so began the next chapter. In 1954 dick had this crazy idea about starting a lumber trading company. He had had a bit of experience in the field while working for the Scott family business. Fate had found him “between jobs” as it were and word had gotten out that Davies was on the market. Job offers began to come in…offers that made his previous salary pale in comparison. While many would have accepted such offers, for Dick, they only served to get the old gears grinding…”If these guys can pay me this kind of money and still expect to make a profit…I wonder what kind of money I’ll be able to pay myself.” And so began Northcoast Lumber as it was referred to back then.
Pooling all of his resources and calling in every last favor that he was owed…and some that he wasn’t…he began to develop a business plan. It went something like this…
“hmm…I need a business plan…planning…not exactly my strong suit…who do I know that can plan?”
It was then that he began to surround himself with people whose strengths augmented his own.
Though a true visionary in life, those who know him know that he has the capacity…nay the tendency, to spend money like a drunken solider out on a 48 hr pass. Owing mostly to his many years of personal experience in that very arena.
Enter J.T. Scott. No one was better suited to the insurmountable task of reigning in Dicks exuberance. J.T’s fiscal responsibility was the stuff of legend. However the partnership would not be complete without the grounded pragmatist. Enter then Dave Clarke.
As a threesome these man brought to the table the essential ingredients that lead to an extraordinary partnership that lasted over three decades. As strong as each individual was the sum of their parts was far stronger still. They shared an agreed upon philosophy that made for a complex and unique decision making process. It could be summed up as “Two out of three is good enough for me.” And it went something like this…
Dick: “Hey guys…on my last trip to Taiwan I ran into a guy that can get us rocking chairs dirt cheap”
Dave: “Dick the guys don’t know anything about selling rocking chairs.”
JT after looking at the details of the transaction scribbled on a cocktail napkin: “Dave these things really are dirt cheap”
Dick: “See! What’d I tell ya…these things will sell themselves…I mean who doesn’t like rocking chairs”
Dave: “Whatever…”
Ok this is a bad example but it gives you an idea. The tremendous trust and mutual respect coupled with the faith to defer to collective wisdom always resulted in a unanimous decision. That and knowing that if things went sideways you were only really in to it for a third.
Northcoast went on to become a leader in the world of lumber and building products sales, and keeping to tradition Northcoast has always been on the leading edge when it comes to new and innovative products.
But this didn’t make Northcoast the company that it is today. It was the many people, employees, shareholders clients and even suppliers and other associates past and present, that shaped Northcoast into the organization that it is today. Though never a true family business, it’s employees have always shared that close knit feeling of togetherness and family.
Many cite the firm but caring leadership of Dick Davies for the company’s continued success. But I think it’s success lies in the original principal upon which the company was founded; the concept of finding and using the strength of others to augment your own. We all work as a cohesive unit even though our individual roles have never been clearly defined. This carte blanche job description was a technique that was seemingly pioneered by Dick Davies and has proven to be quite confusing to some new staff…but those who get it…get it. We are all part of the team…not just in title but in day to day function. Like the apparently contradictory lessons of self reliance tempered by faith and dependence on others that Dick learned in his experience in the army, true team work requires personal responsibility as well as trust and that is the true legacy of Dicks leadership style. May it continue to serve Northcoast well for many years to come.
Lets go back again in time…
1963 – Hugh Hefners Penthouse, New York city. Ok…so it wasn’t Hefs pad in New York…but to a young dental hygienist from Portland Oregon it was all the same. The night Dick and Ruth met…Picture a party of mutual friends that all lived in an apartment building somewhere in the West end of Vancouver. Ruth and her Sister Jennie are sitting comfortably by the window checking out the action. Dick enters the apartment. Ruth nudges Jennie and gestures towards dick…”oooh oooh That’s the man I’m going to Marry”
Despite the boldness of this statement, Ruth was unable to speak to Dick that night as he was constantly surrounded by an endless parade of friends , colleagues and other women.
So she developed a plan…She had gathered that he lived in the same building as her a few floors up. As it was a bachelors apartment she knew that he had to leave sometime. So she waited…He left for work and she noted the time. She knew what car he drove at the time so she waited by the window for its evening return. Knowing that he would stop on the first floor on his way up from the garage to check for mail she lept into action. Jumping into the elevator and racing to the ground floor she timed it just right so that she would already be there when he got on. Sadly this happened more than a dozen times before an actual conversation ensued.
Dick struggled with the idea of how to introduce Ruth to the rest of his children. In the summer of 1964 it happened. On a boat trip up the sunshine coast Ruth met the family. The ice was broken when the boat hit a patch of rip tide off of point Aktinson. The seas got heavy and everyone rushed about to batten down the hatches, returning to the relative safety of the small galley near the center of gravity. Sea sickness began to turn the stomachs of even the most seaworthy. A particularly large wave hit and the contents of the small oven spilled forth. When the baked beans hit the floor everyone hit the side rails and everything was ok after that.
As time progressed Ruth met more and more of the people in Dicks life. But she was having a time telling who were friends who was family and who were business associates. You see, Dick never made any differentiation between the three groups of people. Business associates, be they partners, employees or clients were always introduced with the same care reserved for close friends and family. Close friends and family were introduced with the same respect given business associates. Dad once told me that you can tell a lot about a man by the quality of the friendships one forges in the course of ones life. But I also feel that a case can be made for the amount of overlapping relationships that one has. I mean who wouldn’t want to go to work with a bunch of your best friends or have a serious family discussion with the same amount of respect that one gives and receives on the job or trust your friends as though they were family. Dick had the good fortune to have all of this and loved everyone who was a part of his life.
Dick and Ruth got married and had a few more kids…lucky for Sarah and I. We enjoyed many good times growing up…Pender Harbor, Palm Springs, hours of what seemed like meaningless work in whatever monster garden that dad had let take over the backyard. But we learned…the whole time we learned. We didn’t know it at the time but all of the experiences and times that dad saw and lived went into making us the adults that we are today. Words cannot express my gratitude.
At age 69, back in 1992 he was fortunate enough to meet some friends that changed his life once again. Though this relationship had a great impact upon him and his life it was a private one. I believe that Dicks friend Dave Purvis is better suited to speak about this phase of his life and I will leave that to him except to say that we are all very grateful that Dad was able to spend his last years with the clarity of thought and peace of mind that he deserved.
Despite challenging health issues Dick was able to make the most of his short retirement. Travel was always important to him, developing the bug back in the 60’s and 70’s with many business trips overseas to the east and to the West Indies. Recently, he had been able to travel for pleasure and it was with great pride and joy that he attended the 60th anniversary of the d-day landing on Juno beach in Normandy. His tour after the celebration included a road trip along the route that his unit took through France Belgium and Holland. A short cruise with family earlier this year will be fondly remembered.
The final chapter in Dicks life is a short one but it is perhaps the most meaningful. Several weeks ago, Dick, Ruth and the whole family returned to Pender Harbour on the sunshine coast to mark their 37th wedding anniversary. Pender was the site of many good family memories as well as being the location of Dick and Ruth’s Honeymoon. What made this anniversary special is that Dick and Ruth chose to renew their wedding vows. I’d like to read a small section of the Recommitment Ceremony that took place on July 14th.
It started with a reminder of the wedding vows exchanged 37 years ago…and went on
That was the wedding…the beginning of the journey. Today you both have certain knowledge of the last nearly four decades. You have experienced the better and the worse; the richer and the poorer; the sickness and the health; the joy and the sorrow. And even so, before those gathered here, you are saying, I would chose to marry you again today. That is a testament of love.
It went on from there but the most beautiful part of the whole ceremony is that the message of taking the good with the bad, the richer with the poorer the sickness with the health was so relevant to Dick. The one side of the coin exists in opposition to the other. Up has down, joy has sorrow. It is the experience of the negative that makes the positive that much sweeter.
How can you ever truly appreciate the good in life without first experiencing the bad?
That was how Dick Davies lived his whole life…that is how he knew that he truly had it all…that is the story of his life.
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