Obituary of Roderick Cummings

It is with sadness that the family of Roderick (Ric) John Cummings announces his passing on July 17, 2014. Born in Lachine, QC, on Feb 24, 1953, he was the son of the late John and Hazel (Hanson) Cummings. Ric is survived by his wife, Brenda (O'Neill), and daughters Laura (Corey Somers) of Ottawa, Hillary of Victoria, and Megan of Fredericton, and brothers Chris of Toronto and Keith (Christine Demers) of Smithers, BC. Rick spent two years at UNB-Saint John, finishing his BA at UNB-Fredericton in 1975. His MA (Political Science) was completed in 1979. He briefly attended the University of Manchester in England, in whose grad bar he left a pilfered NWT polar bear licence plate. Ric loved to golf, whether in New Seabury, Cape Cod or closer to home. A golfing highlight was a round played in St. Andrews, Scotland in 1980. He was equally passionate about promoting NB history through his publishing companies New Ireland Press and Non-Entity Press. In 1992, he was awarded a Certificate of Commendation from The America Association for State and Local History. In 1994, he was presented a Certificate of Recognition from the then Premier Frank McKenna. Ric also had typesetting businesses in Fredericton and Saint John, and owned The Great NB Bookstore in Saint John. Ric will be remembered for his love of life and for his vibrant personality. One of his greatest pleasures was to laugh and to make others laugh. The family is forever grateful to the staff at the York Care Center for their devoted care and to friends and neighbors for their constant and loving support over the years. A service celebrating Ric’s life will be held at the York Funeral Home on Monday, August 18, 2014 at 2 pm with a reception to follow. For those who wish donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society. Online condolences and stories can be sent through www.yorkfh.com