On Christmas Day in 1960, Richard John Bested was born to parents Donald and Shirley (nee Strain) Bested in the city of Toronto.

After a long hard fight with Stage 4 Lung Cancer, Richard passed away at the age of 62 on September 7, 2023 while battling pneumonia at Toronto Western Hospital. He was surrounded by his loving family.

Richard is predeceased by his parents Donald and Shirley, his brother, Douglas Bested, his in-laws Ruth Waller and Bill Canning, and brother-in-law, Robert Schillemore. Richard is survived by his wife of 38 years, Barbara Waller and their two sons, Matthew and Adam Bested. He will be lovingly remembered by his sister-in-laws, Louise Schillemore, Florence Roy, and Sandy Churchill. He will also be missed by his many nephews and nieces; Robert, Jennifer (Jeremy), Colin, Steven (Tonya), Shannon (Jamie), Trevor, Aleash, Marissa; and his many great nephews and nieces.

Richard was a Master Custom Upholsterer who worked for Louis Interiors Inc. for many years. He took great pride in his work and taught his son, Adam, the trade of creating beautiful custom furniture for all to enjoy. His presence and comradery will be sorely missed by all who worked with him over the years.

In Richard’s free time he enjoyed listening to music; his favourite genres included classic rock, heavy metal, and the blues. He always said “Music moves the soul and makes me happy.” He definitely knew his bands; he could tell you where they came from, name all of the band members and the instruments they played. There was no fooling Richard when it came to music. Richard was an avid sports fan who loved a variety of sports, such as hockey, baseball, basketball, motorsports, and even tennis. He also enjoyed winter sports and was quite the skier in his younger years. The sport he was most passionate about was Motorsports/Racing. If he couldn’t go to a race or watch it on TV, he would make sure the TV recorder was set.

Although Richard did not have any pets growing up, he opened his home and his heart to his first pet dog in the summer of 1999. He and his family named the little pup, Barney. He was a great addition to the family and sadly passed away at 18 years of age. The following year, Richard found his second pet, a stray cat. Even though his wife didn’t really want any more animals, Richard being who he was talked her into keeping him and decided to name it Arthur. Arthur was a loyal companion and would not leave Richard’s side throughout his illness.

Family was the most important thing to Richard and came above anything else. Richard was a hard worker and worked long hours to provide for his family. He would do anything he could to help his family and friends. Richard had a kind, loving, gentle soul, with a great sense of humour. He was also strong willed and stubborn at times. All of these qualities made him who he was; a great father, devoted husband and loyal friend.

Richard will be missed dearly by his wife, Barbara, his sons, Matthew and Adam, Family, and Friends.


In lieu of flower, the family wishes for you to spend quality time with those you love.

Memorial Service to be announced at a later date.