Farewell to a quintessential English gentleman

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Martin Moodie
Martin Moodie is the Founder & Chairman of The Moodie Report.

[UPDATE TO STORY BELOW]

Richard did not want a public service. His family has asked that if  people would like to pay their respects, they can make a donation to one of his favourite charities in his memory. These are listed below.

The Royal British Legion http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/about-us

 The Royal National Lifeboat Institution http://rnli.org/aboutus/aboutthernli/Pages/Our-purpose.aspx

 The Hong Kong Community Chest for their work in HK http://www.commchest.org/en/home/index.aspx

Richard Ashworth, who passed away yesterday morning in Hong Kong with his family by his side, was one of the nicest men you could care to meet.

The dapper, gentle and modest Englishman had over a quarter of a century’s experience of the Asia Pacific wines & spirits, luxury goods and travel retail sectors, working variously for Jardine Matheson, Allied Domecq and Camus, before later representing Hunting World and LeSportsac in travel retail.

Richard, who had been suffering from pancreatic cancer for some time, will be greatly missed.

Tony Bratsanos, a close work and personal friend (pictured above with Richard during their Camus days), said: “Richard was a fine man, a mentor and a pillar of the travel retail industry. He was greatly respected by all, had a wicked sense of humour and had charm in abundance. He was universally liked and only saw the positive in people. He did not have an ounce of ego in his character, which is unique in our industry and he will be sorely missed by all who knew him. After the traumas of the past year Richard is finally at peace.”

DFS Senior Vice President John Hoover noted: “Richard was always known for his dry wit, integrity and perseverance.  He was a great gentleman of the industry and will be missed.”

Camus Area Director Richard Ferne said: “I first met Richard in 1990 during my Allied Domecq days, when he was ‘Mr Kahlua’ in Asia Pacific. Our mutual history and love of Hong Kong and Asia allowed him to tolerate my demeanour, which was the exact opposite of his. Always immaculately turned out, Richard was seen as the quintessential Englishman and everything he said or did reinforced that image. He used few words, but they always gave a positive message. His dry sense of humour, with a twitch of an eyebrow, was to be enjoyed.”

I too have a personal perspective on Richard, a man who had generously shared his great industry knowledge with me time and again from my early days in the industry. When I was diagnosed with cancer in July 2009, Richard (then a healthy man and knowing my love of Kiwi wine) wrote to me, noting with typical drollness (and slight dottiness) that at first he had thought the Royal Marsden was an eye hospital before observing: “Certainly Cloudy Bay by glass or intravenously will work its magic, but even so, chemo is no fun by all accounts.”

Those words would turn out to be prescient. 

But first there was more humour. Just before my operation in October 2010, he sent me a joke from famed English comic Tommy Cooper (who he admired) to cheer me up:

Tommy Cooper:  A woman tells her doctor, ‘I’ve got a bad back.’ The doctor says, ‘It’s old age.’ The woman says, ‘I want a second opinion.’ The doctor says: ‘Okay – you’re ugly as well.’

Richard noted: “You could try that on the surgeon… on second thoughts, perhaps not, he may laugh too much to see straight.”

In late 2011 he too was diagnosed with cancer.  In March 2012 he wrote to me saying he’d just started chemotherapy, vowing to attend the Singapore show a couple of months later. Alas the drug failed to work its sometime magic and Richard’s condition deteriorated. But his sense of humour and his kindness didn’t. On the eve of our 10th Anniversary Charity Ball in Hong Kong last October, he wrote: “Still vertical! Good luck with the fund raising.”

His final note arrived on 14 November 2012, when he wrote: “Still upright & perpendicular! Believe me, without the wonderful love and support from so many friends, I’m not sure I’d still be here.”

 Now he’s not.

Our thoughts, along with his many friends, go out to Richard’s family, Mimi, Melissa and Melanie, as they and we grieve this kind, gentle and quintessential English gentleman.

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  • We have just seen this and we are very sorry to hear that Richard passed away. Melissa and our Son James were born the same time at the Matilda Hospital in Hong Kong and would dearly love to get in touch with Mimi. Could you please forward my email address to her.

  • Dear Mimi,
    I am so sorry to hear of the sad news of Richard.
    Malcom D had told me in July ’12 that Richard has pancreatic cancer, but I hadn’t heard any more having rather lost touch with Malcolm.
    Richard and worked together in the import dept of JM & Co in the seventies and I was a good friend of his sailing partner from Thailand, who sadly died in 1971/2, Rod Baker. Later on, we crossed paths in Allied Lyons(Domecq).
    With best regards,
    James Campbell

  • Richard, a wonderful man who brought me into the interesting duty free and travel retail business. I still remember the interview in Camus office in Central. The team is doing a tasting and a glass of cognac was offered to me. How nice to have a drink during your interview : )

    Richard, you will be missed by many love ones and all your friends.

  • It is really a big shock to me when I heard the news!

    I met Richard several times at Singapore, Cannes and our office when he worked for Hunting World. He remembered my name since the first time we met although we did not have direct business. We talked about the trend of travel retail business, his comments on the industry and the interesting events during Tax Free Show…He is so nice to everybody with sharing his happiness and humor…It’s really a sad thing we can not meet the respectful gentlemen again.

    Rest in Peace, Richard. We all miss you.

  • I too have known Richard since his Camus days. When I found out I was going to be seconded to our Hong Kong division, I let him know I would be coming. He never forgave me for coming to see the Rolling Stones in 2003 and not giving him a call. So we had lunch together in Mid November at the Hong Kong club, and in spite of his frailty, he was the usual, dryly witty Richard that I had come to know and enjoy socializing with over the years. I am sorry that he is gone, but I know he was glad to have his daughters with him at the end. God Speed Richard. See you on the other side.

  • Richard was a straight-forward, droll, humorous and charming chap. It was always a delight to meet up with him either at the Tax Free shows or in Hong Kong. He was never short of entertaining comments or opinions on different subjects and always talked a lot of sense. I will miss him as will many others. RIP Richard and my thoughts & prayers are with all your family.

  • You will truly be missed Richard! Mahalo for your friendship over the years and for always connecting whenever you were in Hawaii. As mentioned above, a quintessential English gentleman. Aloha ‘oe.

  • Richard, May your soul rest in peace.
    You were always very gentle and so kind of me. You advised me a lot of things not only about business but also the life itself. Then the last words of you were always ‘Mr. Odani, fingers crossed !!!’
    I will never forget you and the time we spent together.
    My thoughts are with you and your family forever in this sad time.
    Again, May your soul rest in peace…

  • The only good male tennis player I know willing to play with a lousy tennis player. A sure sign of kindness, but not the only one. A wonderful man in all respects…a good friend who will be missed and remembered. Rest in peace, Richard. Love to Mimi, Melissa and Melanee.

  • Why is it always the good guys?
    Richard was a true gentleman.
    A kind and gentle soul who always made me laugh.
    My thoughts and prayers are with his family at this very sad time.

  • Richard was a one-of-a-kind individual of upstanding character. Whether professionally or personally he enriched the lives of all who came in contact with him. Rest in peace Richard and thank you for brightening our world with your presence. You will be missed.

  • Beautifully put Martin, and I echo everyone’s sentiments. Richard and I were colleagues for several years at Camus and I’ve sat in many a meeting with him where that sense of humour has de-frosted an otherwise difficult atmosphere. It was a privilege to watch him ‘work’ a retail outlet – an object lesson for anyone in the business. He always knew everyone, from the management and supervisors to the warehouse people who filled the shelves, and was especially good with front line staff. He would invariably be on first name terms with every sales assistant, as well as knowing about their families. He’d charm them all, and it created a fantastic feel good factor for the product.
    He was also a huge Rolling Stones fan and would travel the world to go to a gig. He kept the Forty Licks album cover as his laptop wallpaper for a number of years – always a talking point to break the ice. And he told me once that he’d been close to becoming a hippy in the sixties, which is quite a thought if you’ve known the tweedy, urbane Englishman.
    Richard had a favourite expression when he needed to ask someone for something: “In your copious spare time, of course…” I’m deeply saddened to know that he now has far too much of it.

  • Rest in Peace, Richard. An absolute pleasure to have known such a wonderful and charming man. My thoughts are with family and loved ones.