On May 25, 2021, Richard James Bourque, 56, passed away in his sleep at his home in Canandaigua to join his only child, Alexandra, and his beloved sister, Melinda, in the heavenly world beyond.

Rich was an unmistakable presence – long hair, white sunglasses and a good pair of boots.  He always brought with him a big smile, warm hugs and a youthful sense of humor.  He was a hunter-gatherer extraordinaire, foraging for morel mushrooms, fossils, bird feathers and all of nature’s treasures.  He drank from waterfalls, not fountains, and imagined himself a Native American though, to his regret, he was not.  He was a tinkerer, a magician that could turn something broken and castoff into something useful and beautiful.

Although he spent most of his adult life in Georgia, he spent his formative years in Borodino where he enjoyed boyish adventures with the best of friends and his dog, Buckwheat, by his side.

He is survived by his parents, Ronald and Carol Bourque of Skaneateles; his siblings, Michelle Dougherty of Skaneateles and Timothy Bourque of Manchester, NH; a granddaughter, Brianna Benjamin of Ithaca; as well as two aunts, an uncle, cousins and several adoring nieces and nephews – as one young nephew said, “he loved everyone.”

Rich’s life was honored with a contemplative walk at Bear Swamp, a fitting farewell of which we are sure he would have approved.