A 90-year-old Vancouver Island man with high moral standards returned a wad of lost money found on a recent morning walk along Cedar Hill Cross Road in Saanich to get coffee and breakfast.
Robert Davies, a good Samaritan who lives in the Mount Tolmie Area admits to being a bit of a “neat freak,” noting it is not uncommon for him to pick up trash and other items he finds on his daily walks.
He likes his surroundings to be tidy and likes to take care of things – that includes the streets near his home.
He also cares about people, including strangers.
“Maybe if I found five or $10 on the ground I’d keep it – but that is pretty much where I draw the line,” he said. “It had been raining and I found $100 and $50 bills all stuck together, I didn’t bother counting them before I turned back home to call the police.”
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The sum of money found ended up being nearly $1,600 – he suggested to police that they visit the nearest bank to figure out who withdrew the money so they could return it, and ultimately they were able to return the lost cash to the person.
Davies said he still doesn’t know anything about the person he helped. He imagined they must have felt terrible upon realizing they were missing that substantial amount, and added it was the right thing to do and made him feel good to help reunite them with their money.
His motto in life is it’s always better to give than to receive, and throughout his life he has made a point of treating everyone around him well, he said.
Born in Edmonton, Alta. in 1931, Davies said he had a wonderful childhood and has many fond memories of where he used to play with his friends. He married his wife, Marjorie, at age 21 and they were married for over 60 years before her passing in 2013.
They had three sons together and when Davies retired in 1986, he and his wife spent three more years in Edmonton before moving to Victoria in 1989.
Davies now lives on his own, but ventures to the Tim Horton’s near his apartment for his morning meal and social opportunities. He often spends time with friends and family, including a younger sister.
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