Richard Kater

Richard Andrew Kater, partner, father, Papa and friend, left us on February 2, 2026. He was a good man. We are heartbroken.

Born on April 20, 1949, in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, he said his best life began on July 3, 1992, when he met Diana Gustafson on a blind date at Springfield Golf Course in Guelph. Married the next year after a round of golf, they became partners in love and life. They built homes in Waterdown, St. John’s, and Toronto where they grew their family and a wide circle of friends.

Richard spent forty plus years in the structural steel industry, initially at Acier Royalcor in Montreal and Guelph, and later at Ennis Steel, Automatic Steel, Crawford Metal, and Atlantic Tube. A tough but fair negotiator, he was respected by his peers as a gentleman, a man of integrity, and a supporter of the Association of Women in the Metal Industries.

After he retired, he was committed to creating a safe and welcoming community. He served two, three-year terms on the Board of Directors of the Masters Condo Corp, and brought his purchasing expertise to the Procurement Committee. Monday and Friday coffee hours with the gang won’t be the same without him.

His children and their partners have many special memories: Amy (his girl) cherishes her annual trips to the One of a Kind Show with Dickie, his sincere gratitude for slippers and cardigans, and his sage wisdom about work and family. Jeremy remembers Richard as a classy dresser, never pretentious, but with an eye for fine watches and cars. Brad (his son) celebrated his 21st birthday with UD (Richard’s pet name) by golfing five Arizona championship courses in six days. Always careful with words and generous with praise, Laurie will save a place for Richard at the head of the table.

Richard was a regular spectator at Paige and Nicole’s soccer games and the proud chauffeur for Josh and Ben’s hockey and baseball games. Paige will miss her Papa’s quiet attention to her stories. No one said Nicole’s name with a hint of a French accent the way that Richard did. The girls will miss his steady presence on Christmas morning. To Josh and Ben, he will forever be Batman cruising in his black Mustang convertible.

Richard loved action movies, Janis Joplin, and the blues. His Sim City buddies will miss his contribution to city building. He didn’t have the emotional energy to hate anything, but he disliked turtleneck sweaters, mushrooms, and cat hair on his pants.

He never owned that Harley Davidson Fatboy, but he and Diana enjoyed regular trips to the Stratford Festival, Mirvish performances, the AGO, and the ROM. Richard loved the arts and architecture. He had a long bucket list and was lucky to tick off Vietnam and Cambodia, England, Iceland, Ireland, Spain, the Nile and the Panama Canal. The Amazon and Portugal will have to wait for his next life.

We invite you to celebrate Richard’s life with us. Drop by the Party Room at 284 Mill Rd. in Etobicoke at 1-3 pm on Sunday, February 8. Parking is available on site or across the street at Silverthorne Collegiate Institute School. Richard requested no flowers. In his honour, consider making a donation to the AGO, the ROM, or your local art gallery or museum.