“I am pretty sure Dick was my Psychology of Sport instructor as well as a great presence around War Memorial gym. I was there at the same time Rick Hanson wheeled to school and locked his wheel chair to the bottom of the stairs. Dick was a legend even in 1979, imagine how much that grew to 2012. Dick was one of the first people I was exposed to who talked about the science of sport. He will be greatly missed at the school and in life.”Douglas Querns, BPE ’79.
“I am so sorry to hear of Dick’s death. I know he and Ken had many good times on the golf course and at friendly poker games. He was truly a good friend! As getting around became more difficult for Ken, Dick and Jack Kelso were always ready to chauffeur Ken to various venues for their infamous poker games. I especially appreciated the extra efforts he, Jack Kelso, Nestor Korchinsky, Ted Rhodes, Bob Schutz and Bonnie Long made to come to Sidney for Ken’s memorial in July of 2018. I send my sincere condolences to Jean and her family.”Nancy Coutts.
“My condolences to the Mosher family. I remember Dick pacing up and down the sidelines in our soccer games. Never one to criticize play but rather methodically dissecting game play. It is nice to see how many people have supported your family. An honoured man, dad, grandpa and coach.”Sheila Samtani, BHK ’98.
“Dick Mosher was my tutor during my time at UBC. He was always helpful and willing to give advice. He was a very relaxed and nice person. My condolences to his family.”Alex Schiebel, MHK 2000.
“I was so sad to hear of Dick’s passing. He was a most interesting fellow. Had many stimulating chats about coaching, poker, faculty politics, and life over the many years we were side by side office mates. I hope he passed peacefully and I know his family will miss him greatly.”Peter Crocker, Faculty, School of Kinesiology.
“I remember having Dick as a teacher during my undergrad degree and I thoroughly enjoyed his classes. My deepest condolences to his family, his memories will live on with you and beyond.” Colleen Hannah, BPE ’92 and MHK ’97.
“I did not play soccer. I didn’t have Dick as a prof in the 70’s. But as an undergrad in the WMG, everyone knew Dick Mosher with his multiple UBC Soccer championships! He was so well respected! In 1983, when I did join the staff of Athletics and Recreation, I would pass Dick in the hallways and he ALWAYS had time for a quick chat about what was happening in our program of Intramural Sports. He was kind, interested and interesting! He was another UBC legend and I was so honoured to have known him.”Joanie (Pilcher) Webster, BRE ’80.
“Dr. Richard Mosher was my advisor for my MHK degree from January 1994 to 1998, and he was a very likeable character. He was a very kind man and extremely supportive of my academic and career pursuits, and always recommended to maintain my personal life balance. I worked with the UBC women’s soccer team that he coached, as a strength and conditioning coach, and from them I learned to develop my programs on the field. He always made me feel like I was a part of the team and gave me my first UBC uniform which gave me a sense of belonging. It was because of Dick Mosher that I focused on the sport of soccer for my Master’s degree major paper, and why I landed the position at the University of Central Florida where I later finished my doctoral degree. It is with a heavy heart today to see his retirement was cut short but I will always fond memories of him and how he believed in me. My thoughts are with his family.”Rosalin Miles, Faculty Research Associate, School of Kinesiology.
“Sincere condolences to the Mosher family. Dick was a wonderful humble man, who touched many lives, when coaching both Men’s & Women’s soccer teams at UBC. I’ve always admired his achievements at UBC & his friendly demeanour. I don’t think he got enough credit for the success that he had over many years. Dick was always approachable & knowledgeable in our conversations about the game we both love. You leave behind a legacy of success. Everyone I’ve ever spoke to regarding their time at UBC, playing for Dick’s teams have nothing but positive things to say about their experiences during Dick’s reign. Rest In Peace.”Alan Errington, Retired Football (Soccer) Coach. Vancouver Whitecaps.
“My condolences to the Mosher family. Dr. Mosher has left a long lasting impact on my career. As a student athlete playing volleyball for the Tbirds from 1979-84, our paths crossed many times. He helped to inspire many of us to go on and accomplish great things in sport and our careers as Physical Educators. Next year I will be retiring after 35 years of coaching & teaching in British Columbia. Dr. Mosher will be sadly missed by the thousands who have had the opportunity to work along side of this passionate man.50+ years on UBC campus is an outstanding testament to his legacy. R.I.P. Dick”Paul Thiessen, BPE 84.
“Incredibly sad to hear this news. Dr. Dick Mosher was an extremely kind, humble, and capable man. A fabulous colleague and all-round great human being. #RIPDickMosher”Mark Beauchamp, Professor, School of Kinesiology.
“Took a few classes with Dr. Mosher towards my BPE in ’81. A true classy, dedicated, caring prof & instructor. My oldest son, 44, was enrolled in some of Dr. Mosher’s summer camps at UBC, back then. He made the programs fun, educational & challenging for the children. Sad to hear about his passing. A true UBC icon.”George Tylor, BPE ’84.
“So sorry to hear about this. I owe Dick a lot. Believed in me despite my stature. He helped grow my confidence. A noble, kind and supportive man. He will be missed and condolences to Mike and the rest of the family” Robert Zambrano, Assistant Superintendent SD43 (Coquitlam) BC, Canada.
“Dick Mosher was truly one of the best people I ever had to associate with at UBC , he was so kind, patient and always made time for you. He was a inspiration to all the coaches and to all his players. One of the greats, a true legend. RIP” Milan Dragicevic, Dragicevic Hockey Development, BC Selects Spring programs, Coach Delta Hockey Academy and DHO Richmond Ravens Female.
“So sad to hear this news. A great, great man and the fabric of UBC m/w soccer. My thoughts are with his family. RIP Dick Mosher” Howard Tsumura, Founder/writer http://VarsityLetters.ca
“Dick was a great coach and the soccer community will dearly miss him. What a great legacy he leaves behind at UBC! With sympathy to the Mosher family.” Kenny Strain, BHK ’97, BEd ’98, and MEd 2014
“Personally, Dick influenced my career decisions deeply. He was the one that got me involved with the MKIN. Today, this program is stronger than ever. He also taught me that I could remain a coach while being faculty at the School. The dual role is sometimes very hard but it is worth it!!! You are one of the greats Dick, and I’m grateful to have met you early in my career.
My condolences to the Mosher family!” Maria Gallo, Assistant Professor, Director, Masters of High Performance Coaching & Technical Leadership Program.
“I am so thankful for my time with Dick, who was my supervisor for my Master’s in Human Kinetics – Coaching Sciences (2010). As I struggled to find my place in graduate school, Dick was so welcoming to conversations, even before I entered his program. He was supportive and encouraging the whole way through. He loved to see enthusiasm and inspiration in his students and proudly let us all follow our individual paths, even if he didn’t fully understand what we wanted to do. His teaching was authentic, as he shared with us his own struggles in coaching. When I contacted Dick even after he had retired, needed a reference to enter a PhD, he continued his support. As I will be commencing in June having recently completed my PhD, I recognize how important Dick has been in my academic and personal journey, as he has been to so many. He will be missed by so many, and I want to share my deepest condolences with his family at this difficult time.”Kate Kloos, MHK 2010.
“Over the years, he and I went to many Sports Medicine and Sports Science conferences through out North America and Europe. Often, we were at meetings of the American College of Sports Medicine and the Canadian Association of Sports Science. We visited Amsterdam, Düsseldorf and Eintoven, all parts of Canada and the USA, even Hawaii. Dick often presented research papers on the Science of Coaching and novel training techniques. He was keenly interested in the Physiology of Soccer. However, often after days of stimulating our neurons at the conference our flights home would magically go through Las Vegas and we would get off to recharge our batteries. Dick could often be found beating the system on the Black Jack tables. He was always a good organizer. He was a founding member of the Faculty poker club of the School. Which has been in existence for the last 40 years. (Except for Covid). He had an active mathematical mind and was always inventing new poker games such as High-Low Match the Pot, to get the upper hand on his friends. Another memory of all of us, was the NHL pre play-off pool that Dick organized. We started off with 8 of us in Dick’s basement and it soon expanded to 16. It was always fun, helped the School camaraderie and togetherness. Usually it was followed by some beverages and Chinese food that Dick looked after. Good times. Dick and I taught the Coaching Science course for 30 years and were always rewarded with outstanding students that Dick primarily recruited to the School. It was one of the only programs of its kind in the country.
Dick was a great guy and team builder and we will miss him dearly.”Ted Rhodes, Faculty, School of Kinesiology.
“Dr. Mosher was a force in shaping my career as his graduate student in 2009 and 2010. His understanding of science, sport, and pedagogy, as well as his ability to inspire thought and reflection have influenced every facet of my academic and professional careers in the past decade and will continue to guide me moving forward. Of the many memories and lessons that I have adopted from Dr. Mosher my favorite was the once a semester pitcher Dick would place center table at Mahony’s. Surrounded by his cohort, I have no doubt that Dr. Mosher, as he sat back and listened to the often lively conversations that would ensue, learned a great deal about his students, and how to reach each of us as scholars and people, with this cheeky approach. I am honored to have had the opportunity to learn from Dr. Richard Mosher. He is missed but never forgotten for his influence on generations.”Ross Dexter, MKin 2010.
“Had Dr. Mosher for Young Children, Adapted Phys.Ed. and Curling. He was one of my favourites. Insightful, easy to listen to and encouraging. Helped me to hang in there with my athletic career. I learned a lot from him.”Frank Gorringe, BPE ’79.
“Dick was a masterful professor, passionate coach and transformative leader. I have always considered myself very fortunate to have had him as a supervisor, in a program he cultivated, just before his retirement. After our first meeting, the decision was clear that a move across the country to have the opportunity to learn and develop under his guidance was well worth the risk. I will remember his kindness and mentorship fondly. My deepest sympathies to the Mosher family and the UBC community.”Mercedes Watson, MKIN 2012.
“In 1985, when I wanted to take the MPE – Coaching Science at UBC, the first person I met was Dr. Mosher as he was the graduate student adviser at that time. I still remember clearly that I was very nervous when I knocked on his office door as it was my first time to study in North America. He was very kind and supportive listening to my interest in coaching tennis, although I was nervous to explain in English. I felt so relieved to have the successful first meeting with him as he was very friendly and relaxed. He was always very warm and supportive during my study, and I learned how a good coach should be not only from the MPE academic programs, but also from himself as a person. The memories of my study of the MPE came back to me when I saw the sad news of Dr. Mosher. Dr. Mosher, thank you for your teaching and support, and please rest in peace.”Fumiko Oguchi-Chen, MPE ’90.
“Dick was a special guy. He took me in as an MHK student in 2001. I transferred to the MA program and completed my degree in 2004. I thoroughly enjoyed the content of the MHK program learning about the art and science of coaching from an expert. I wrote my thesis on expert coaching and it was exceptional to be in his presence learning and getting direct feedback from a master coach. In particular the focus around developing a coaching philosophy still resides with me today 20 years removed from the beginning of my time at UBC. We kept in touch to some degree but I always knew I could count on Dick for a reference or quick chat. My deepest condolences to his family and friends. What a brilliant legacy. Rest easy Coach.”Andrew Clements, MA in Human Kinetics, 2004.
“It has been a great privilege and honor to have been a colleague and friend of Dick over a 50 year time span. We both started at UBC in the 70’s and enjoyed great camaraderie and closeness over this time. His commitment to both students and faculty is legendary. From Tennis matches and Pub nights to Hockey Pools & Poker nights to long days on the Soccer pitch he was a friend and mentor to all he encountered. He is probably the last of his kind at UBC to be able to combine both an outstanding academic career and a coaching career which has been without parallel over his tenure at UBC..
Dick was a family man who loved his family and will be sorely missed by all. My condolences to his wife Jean and the rest of the Mosher clan. His legacy of excellence will remain and he will always represent the best of what can be achieved in both a professional and personal life. Words cannot convey the positive impact he made during his life however he will be missed but never forgotten!”F. Alex Carre, Associate Professor Emeritus, School of Kinesiology.
“I always valued Dick as a very close friend, and admired his honesty and professionalism. I had left UBC as a student before Dick enrolled in the B.P.E. program, and only got to know him when he joined the faculty in 1975. We developed our friendship through non-academic pastimes (e.g.; Faculty Club Captain’s Dinners, hockey pools, poker groups, golf), and shared values regarding the needs and flaws in the structure and content of the School of Physical Education. I always knew he was one I could trust, call on for assistance, and be there for me if needed.
In the early days Dick developed an impressive research program based on his Growth and Development knowledge, with interesting programs involving autistic children. But eventually his love for soccer, and exceptional skill as a coach and mentor, pulled him off to that route and on to unheralded success in that field. I missed his participation in the research and writing side of our profession as he was a very good writer. We did manage to get him involved in our large B.C. assessment of school children’s fitness, and together we published some of our findings.
I often was in conflict with some of the actions and policies of the Athletic Department and its relationship with the School. But I was most pleased when Dick assumed the important and challenging position of Academic Coordinator for Athletics. His interactions with other faculties across the campus were always professionally completed, with the best interests of the athletes and the integrity of the academic programs carefully weighed. I could feel confident that any athlete accepted into our program under the “special considerations” classification would be an asset to the program and successfully complete their degree.
I know that, eventually, our golf group, our poker group, and our hockey pool group will raise a glass in memory of good times shared with Dick. We will miss him deeply. I hope that once it is safe to do so there will be an opportunity honour Dick’s memory on a larger scale.”Bob Schutz, Ph.D. Professor and Director Emeritus UBC School of Kinesilogy.
“Dick was one of the first professors I met when I started working in the School. His humble, unassuming character was authentic, casual and laced with a great sense of humor. His uniqueness came with a rare combination of attributes, a humble academic and a legendary coach. He held back on his retirement date in 2012 so he could see through 6 of his graduate students completing their papers. I asked him if he intentionally retired on a blue moon as for me I thought it quite fitting. He is from that generation when ‘a man was a man and cars were two blocks long’. A generation we have so much to learn from, stoic, noble and draped in chivalry. Fitting he left us on the cusp of a spectacular spring supermoon, only one of two this year.
Dick certainly left his mark on each of us who had the pleasure of knowing him, students, athletes, colleagues, the discipline, and the profession during this most remarkable life.
My deepest condolences to Jean, Mike and the Mosher family.”Kathy Manson, Executive Coordinator & Program Administrator, UBC School of Kinesiology.
“I am so sad to hear this news. My sincere condolences to the family. Dick was one of my professors and later when I worked in the department, a colleague. He taught me that chronological age does not match physical age. On a soccer field of 5-6 year olds ‘chronologically’ you might have a physically 3 year old vs an 8 year old. I saw this play out when my children were young. He was a big personality in Athletics and a great teacher!”Kim Cassar Torreggiani, BPE Science Option, ’83.
“My heartfelt condolences to Dr. Mosher’s family and all those who will miss him dearly… I was so fortunate to have Dick as my advisor for the MHK degree the year before his retirement. His remarkable character and faculty experience made the MHK a formidable life-changing program for me and my cohort, and for the many students and athletes who reflect on this page here, spanning back some fifty years! I did my research on the impact of social media on athletics, students, and the MHK program itself, and while this research was off in left-field of Dick’s purview, he was supportive and curious, questioning and engaged — the hallmark qualities of a life-long learner, leader, scholar, mentor and renown coach as Dick so humbly was. As I reflect back on the last 10 years since graduating, and reflect on the memories of students, friends, colleagues here, I can see that Dick’s legacy is how he inspires us to believe in ourselves. In my last email from Dick, after he provided a referral for me to land my dream job, pretty much sums up his approach to all those he coached and taught: “Jodie: Congratulations!! Sounds great. Looks like a challenging position but I know you’re up to it. Good luck! Cheers, Dick.” (Thank you for believing in us, Dick.)
I’m saddened that Dick didn’t get to enjoy his retirement longer, and wish that his family and friends may be able to gather soon to mourn and celebrate this remarkable man.”Jodie Lightfoot, student.