Richard Hermann Jurgen Unfrau

It is with very heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father and Opa, Richard Hermann Jurgen Unfrau. Richard passed away at Shuswap Lake General Hospital on July 16, 2024 with his loving family by his side. He was 86 years of age.

Richard was predeceased by his father Erwin, his mother Erika and his brother Gunther (Baerbel). He will be greatly missed by his loving wife Claudia, his three children Alexander (Kara) Unfrau, Christopher Unfrau, Kimberley (Gustavo) Marques, his sister Baerbel, his niece Anja and nephew Sven, and his two beloved grandchildren Isabella and Oliver.

Richard was born in Senzig Germany on March 17, 1938, to Erwin and Erika Unfrau, the middle of three children. Growing up during the war in what would become East Germany, Richard endured many challenges. At the age of 17, he fled the east to join his father in West Berlin.

A testament to his intelligence and perseverance, Richard earned his PhD in philosophy by the age of 23, simply because his father said he couldn’t. Always in the pursuit of knowledge and passionate about education, Richard would go on to complete many more years of schooling, eventually earning another PhD in Mechanical Engineering. Owing to his entrepreneurial nature, he started his own business at the age of 32 and in 1980 became one of only three master machinists in Berlin.

On March 20th, 1980, Richard would meet his true love, Claudia. Seven years later their first son Alexander was born in Berlin. On March 20th 1990, Richard and Claudia were married in Germany and again tied the knot on May 12th in California with many friends and family in attendance.

1991 brought a big move to Langley, BC, Canada, where Richard and his family happily resided for 12 years.  Richard and Claudia’s second son, Christopher, was born in January of 1995 and in July of 1998 their daughter Kimberley arrived. The family’s Canadian citizenship would be approved in 1996.

In July of 2003 Richard and his family moved to Salmon Arm where he would enjoy the remainder of his life. Richard had a great sense of adventure and enjoyed traveling, fishing, hunting and camping. Classical music, cooking, and playing musical instruments were also activities that brought him joy over the years. Richard held several careers throughout his life, from owning a machine shop, to technical sales, to teaching at BCIT.

Despite losing his eyesight in 2013, Richard still enjoyed playing piano, learning, spending time with his family, especially his two grandchildren and his regular bible studies with friends.

Richard will always be remembered as an incredibly intelligent, kind, and generous man. His quick wit, sense of humour, and wealth of knowledge were admired by all who knew him. Richard will be sorely missed by his family and friends.

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the staff at both Shuswap Lake General Hospital and Bowers Funeral Service & Crematorium for all of their care and support for Richard and his family. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Richard’s name to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB).