I can’t remember a particular moment when I realised that Richard was a special guy, I’ve known him all my life and to me he was simply Richard. I always knew he was lovely and understood that he would look after me if something happened to my parents, but of course I didn’t understand the gravity of that as a child and I didn’t know anything about his career.

I do remember going to a ceremony for Richard, I’m not sure how old I was but I think perhaps he was receiving his Doctor of Science… I’m not sure. I didn’t really know what it all meant but I remember my parents explaining it to me and that was the first inkling I had that he was anything but your average Joe who fancied himself a marine biologist.

Over time, having ended up as a scientist myself I came to understand just how much of a superstar he was, and yet he was incredibly humble and I felt very grateful and proud to have someone like that in my life.

As for his kindness, I never really understood the gravity of agreeing to care for someone else’s child until I had my own. At the time, living with a family that had two people with boy germs probably horrified me (sorry Peter and Tom, I would have been thrilled to have you as siblings, aside from the obvious downside of having no parents), but now I understand what a huge commitment it would have been and I suspect that Richard and Carol didn’t hesitate to agree.

Over the years a few things happened that made me realise what a lovely guy he was. Richard essentially MC’d my Dad’s wake because as a devastated person in my early 20’s I had no idea what to do and I didn’t want to stuff it up and my Mum was in no fit state either. Despite having had a skiing accident recently (I think) Richard stepped up and Mum and I were immensely relieved and grateful. It was also lovely to have Dad’s best friend be there for him, even know he didn’t know it (I have the poem he read out somewhere, let me know if you want a copy).

When I was in my late 20’s I lived in Hobart as a broke PhD student and received a message from Richard saying he was in town and did I want to catch up for dinner. Needless to say, we did, I remember we went to a Greek place in Salamanca called Mezethes. It dawned on me part way through dinner that Richard wasn’t just checking up on me as a favour to my dad, or through some sense of obligation, but that he genuinely seemed to want to spend time with me and was checking up on me to make sure everything was ok.

Even though our lives were very different (of which I was acutely aware, being in the thick of a PhD), somehow he made me feel like an equal. I suspect that that was essentially his trademark and one of the main things that made him the wonderful man that he was and left a positive mark on every life he touched.

I feel honoured to have known him and I will miss him immensely.