Dick Hespe - a cricketer's view
There are others more eloquent than I who will speak of Dick the family man, the businessman, the war hero. But I shall simply talk of Dick and cricket. De La Salle cricket.
Because Dick loved De La Salle cricket.
He always said he'd never retired from the game and was always, always excited when April came around and the season was about to start.
This child-like enthusiasm and his love of the game appealed to us all and we loved him for it. When he prowled the boundary, jumper slung causally over the shoulder, we knew the summer had truly begun.
He was no rose-tinted "we were better than you" old-timer. When we were good, he said so. And when were rubbish, he didn't hide his disappointment. We always tried that little bit harder when Dick was around.
His laconic humour and ready smile were never far away. His post-match repartee was always worth listening to, his comic songs and humour never failed to entertain.
His playing days were over when we started, but he would umpire occasionally, but I do remember one stunning one handed reflex catch at square leg in a Sunday game. Brilliant. However, Dick was the umpire!
It was inevitable, given his stature within the club, that he would be asked to be club president, a role he accepted with typical humility and no little pride.
If Jim Finnigan was the heart of De La Salle, it was Dick who was the soul, the keeper of the DLS way of cricket - hard, fair and most importantly, with a smile and respect for the game and our opponents. These are legacies we must not forget.
We called him Sir Richard because he was the ultimate gentleman.
There may have better cricketers who have worn the Green and Gold, but never, ever a finer man.
He shall be missed. Goodbye and God Bless Sir Richard.