B16, Terrace Review — Wednesday, July 25, 1990

Dr. Roger

Hicks

fondly remembered

by Betty Barton

‘Terrace was saddened by the death of Dr. Roger Hicks on July 12th. Dr. Hicks died at his home in Terrace, as a result of broken ribs from a fall earlier in the week. Dr. Hicks was 66 years of age on ' April 3rd and had been born in Calgary, Alberta.

Dr. Hicks had been a general practitioner in Terrace since 1951. He had taken time away to further his studies in Scotland and Ger- many from 1954 until 1957. He also did alot of travelling in the ’60s. Dr. Hicks took early retire- ment in the late. seventies, for health reasons.

Long-time friend and next door neighbour Bill McRae described Roger as "a very private guy, but friendly and sociable." Ev Clift, another old friend, met Roger, in his role as a doctor, when Ev had hepatitis in the early ‘50s. He says now, "We were both forced into early retirement. But we made the most of it and had fun ‘cruising around’". He adds, "When some- one would stop .by, Roger was always polite, interested and kind. No one would ever get the idea that he’d rather be alone.”

Roger enjoyed reading, spending time at his cabin at Lakelse Lake and taking long walks. Ev remem- bers, "Rog went for a walk almost every day. Each afternoon at 3, he’d show up at my place (Clift’s cabin at Lakelse) for coffee and cookies. And we’d argue politics."

Roger Hicks also enjoyed trips to Hawaii in January and February, with long-time companion Diana Elkins. Helene McRae recalls telling Di Elkins, when she moved in next door with Roger, "I’m glad you’re here. I won’t have to mow the lawn any more."

Dr. Hicks did property develop- ment at the lake and in Terrace. In the early ’60s, he was one of the first buyers of property from Len

and Nancy Orr when they sub- divided their property on Walsh Ave. Roger lived across the street at the time. Nancy Orr still lives in the old log home on the corner of ’ Walsh and Eby. Dr. Hicks bought his own piece of property and then put Helene and Bill McRae’s name “on the piece beside his. They were neighbours until Roger's death. ". When Dr. Hicks arrived in Terr- ace, he replaced Dr. McGilvrey. The only other doctors in Terrace at the time were Mills and Weir. The McRaes note, "He delivered alot of babies. Everyone knew . . him: He’s been like family to our ‘kids." “Corby King considered Roger - Hicks one of his oldest:and dearest ‘friends. ‘Corby recounts; "Roger delivered our daughter, Christine. When’ she was just.a little girl, he’d come over from his cabin to

Even though he didn’t ‘consider himself very good with children, he’d go right along with it. She really looked forward to his visits."

Roger’s own family consisted of his brother Gerry, a sister Margaret and three nephews and a niece, before Diana came along. Roger and Gerry put each other through medical school at UBC and the University of Toronto. Roger worked in fisheries on the B.C. coast while attending UBC. Coincidentally, both Corby King’s and Roger Hicks’ parents retired in Kelowna and became fast friends, like their sons.

Corby King describes Roger as an avid fisherman and boater. Ev Clift says, "Rog had a classy thirty footer. | had a rather restricted twenty footer. Mostly Corb would take his." Roger Hicks was always very responsible and serious when he was operating the boat. But ‘he would take the time to appreciate nature. He’d often just sit in a bay and appreciate the sounds. Corby fondly remembers a trip down the coast together. They often enjoyed the peace and beauty of a secluded bay. Roger’s biggest fear was that someone would motor into the bay and disturb their solitude.

Bill McRae recounts a fishing story, about an outing down the Douglas Channel with Roger Hicks, Lloyd Holt and Gary. They

were in such high spirits that they _

forgot to tell their wives “where they were going. The wives

thought they’d gone flying in Ga- _

ry’s plane and were frantic when they weren’t home by dark. Bill remembers, "When we finally arrived home, the only one NOT "in hot water" was Roger. He wasn’t married!”

Roger had a dry sense of humour, Corby recalls. When he and his wife, Lillian moved to Salmon Arm, their Terrace friends held a big going-away party. On a subsequent fishing trip to Dease Lake with Roger Hicks and Ev Clift, duties were divided. Roger

was head cook, Ev did dishes-

(because of this, he was nicknamed "Sloshy") and Corby looked after the boat and fishing gear. Corby says they sometimes had little arguments about the delegation of duties. To lighten a tense moment, Roger retorted to Corby, “You know that party we had when you left Terrace. That was for Lillian."

On a trip down the coast one fail (Roger moored his boat in Vancouver in the winter), Ev Clift remembers an oyster shucking session. All three of them, Corby,

' Roger and Ev loved raw oysters.

In the process of freeing an oyster from its shell, Ev’s knife. slipped and he slashed his hand. He recalls, "The doc had to bandage - my hand, Then he sald, ‘stick out” your tongue’, When I. did, he

DR. ROGER HICKS favourite saying was, “We've had the best of it..."

This gesturé was so appreciated that Roger and Corby took turns feeding Ev for awhile. When they tired, Roger said Ev would have to figure out some other way, if he wanted any more oysters. Ev cle- verly propped an oyster on a spoon and with his good hand, poured a drop of Drambuie into the shell. The shell immediately fell open and he slurped up the oyster. Ro- ger’s only comment was, "Miracles are still happening!”

Ev says Roger Hicks’ favourite saying was, "we’ve had the best of it. Lots of fish, no competition and few rules and regulations." Roger Hicks and Ev Clift jokingly called themselves the "lakeside farmers". In the spring, they would both plant their own gardens, Ev’s much larger than Roger’s, (100 sq. fi. compared to about 14 sq. ft.) but in an obviously less fertile location. In the fall, they would compare resulis. The winner, always Roger, with the largest vegetables, would receive 10 cents per vegetable.

Betty Campbell relates a story of Dr. Hicks meeting her‘sister on Heron Island (part of the Great Barrier Reef off the east coast of Australia). Dr. Hicks was enjoying the sun and sand on the beach when a couple sat down and engaged him in conversation. When they discovered he was from Canada, the woman said, "I have a sister in Canada." Roger asked "Where?", just to be polite. The woman replied, "In Khutzeyma- teen". Roger responded, "That could be none other than Betty Campbell." No one then was fam- iliar with the name. |

Betty says, "It really tickled him. He: told the story to people for years. My sister never forgot it either." Betty, a native Australian, her husband Jock and daughters

‘ Leslie and Susan.moved to Terrace

in 1953. Betty worked as an RN at the old army hospital

(now the Flynn Apariments) with Dr. Hicks. "I have great memories -of him as a doctor.” D:. Hicks.was also Betty Campbell’ § own n phys

Corby King also appreciated Roger Hicks as a friend and as a doctor. They first met in Terrace, as newcomers, in 1953. In 1959, Corby had an operation done in Vancouver. His release was depen- dent on the close attention of a competent doctor in Terrace. That doctor turned out to be Dr. Hicks. He was building his cabin at La- kelse Lake at the time. On his way to and from the lake, he would faithfully check in to see how Corby was doing. They became fast friends and spent alot of time together over the years.

Corby says that Roger was per- haps less visible or vocal that other

community figures, but he had the best interests of Terrace at heart and worked towards its betterment. He was one of the founding direc- tors of Skeena Broadcasters (until recently, the public company which operated TK radio, TV and

. cablevision).

Roger Hicks and Diana Elkins had just finished building their retirement home in Comox. They were to have moved last week. Roger was looking forward to

winters away from the ice and -

snow and returning to Terrace for the summers, for the friendship and the fishing.

AN AVID FISHERMAN, Dr. Hicks proudly posed with _ arecent catch and the charter boat operator.

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placed a shucked oyster on il." clan.

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