Maurice lived an interesting, colourful, purposeful and full life. He was a very special human being and his loss will be felt deeply by those who knew and loved him.

Born Peter Maurice de La Valette in British India during the Second World War, he was raised in India until the liberation of Hong Kong at the end of the war. He and his mother were amongst the first boatload of mothers and children repatriated to Hong Kong after the restoration of British rule. There, he attended King George V until he was sent to live with his grandparents in England; these were formative years indeed! He was later joined in England by his parents Maurice and Klara as well as brother Philip. Maurice was a good student and athlete and was Head Prefect of his school.

In the early 1960’s Maurice left England for Canada, arriving in Montreal with $10 in his pocket, washing dishes for a short time until walking into the office of Hudson’s Bay Company (aka, The Company of Adventurers) and asking for a job application. This was an opportunity which would shape him and change his life forever. He accepted a position and was sent to the HBC Trading Post on the First Nations reservation of Bersimis on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River. At HBC he would learn the broad foundations of the fur business, living with the Indigenous population and trading with trappers. His time in the north shaped his love of Canada, and the wilderness, and fostered in him deep respect and affection for Indigenous peoples, the Montagnais in particular. It also gave him a huge advantage when moving back to the city of Montreal from the North Shore. He accepted a position with Canadian Fur Auctions, where he moved from trading to grading furs for auctions, before moving to the auction house itself. Eventually Maurice moved to New York with Canadian Fur Auctions before being approached by the French Fur House Revillon Frères. At Revillon his career took off, becoming Vice President and General Merchandise Manager, running all their business in the USA. Revillion’s concessions in Saks Fifth Avenue and his role as troubleshooter meant that he moved all over the country helping to make unprofitable stores profitable. It was while in San Francisco that he met Lynn, his beautiful and loving wife of over 40 years. He always said he didn’t leave his heart in San Francisco, he brought it back to New York with him. Lynn and Maurice were married, and their son Etienne was born in NYC in the early 1980’s. Soon after, they left New York and moved to Newport, RI. They felt Newport was a better place to raise a child. Maurice was done with corporate life as well as the big city, and felt it was time to open his own business to allow for the development of his own vision, creativity, and to impart his own ideas and values on his work. He was always very proud of working for himself. Amongst other businesses on Spring Street, Maurice owned and operated Royal Male for over 40 years.

Maurice loved his work, gardening, songbirds and his dogs as well as traveling. He traveled extensively throughout Canada, Latin America, Europe, and Asia for both work and pleasure during his 80 years. One such time driving through the Iberian Peninsula he had a run in with General Francisco Franco’s Guardia Civil, and he ended up in a Spanish prison for over 6 months. Years later I would ask him what the most scared he ever was. I expected to hear one of his many stories about being in Canada’s far north away from civilization with the ferocious cold and fierce wildlife. But he said it was his first night in a Spanish prison, when his prison guard had an eye patch and a peg leg. He eventually escaped with the help of a diplomat from Gibraltar and the Basque separatist group ETA. He was smuggled out of Spain in the trunk of a Citroen DS-19, and he said that when he was on free French soil, he got on his hands and knees and kissed the ground like the Pope. Years later, when my wife was planning a trip to Spain, she queried Maurice, “you spent some time in Spain, right?” He shot her a dirty but playful look.

These words written down don’t capture the essence of what a remarkable interesting man Maurice was. He made his own way in the world. I wish I could more fully have absorbed the experiences, lessons, and stories before he left this world. Maurice was truly his own man and marched to the beat of his own drum, he loved his family and always put them first, and he pushed them to be the best versions of themselves.

Maurice is survived by his brother Philip (New Zealand), his friend and colleague Andy, his daughter-in-law Meghan, his loving son Etienne, and by his wife Lynn, who in the end was his caretaker, but through 40 plus years of marriage was his partner, best friend, and the love of his life.

More local obituaries

Obituary: Marjorie J. Beardwood

On May 9, 2024, Marjorie J. Beardwood passed away peacefully at Riverview Nursing home, Coventry, RI. She was in the presence of her daughter and members of the nursing staff. Born in Providence, RI, she was the daughter of the late George Edward Jackson and Jean Vincent (Swan) Jackson. Marjorie is survived by her son…

Obituary: Alexander Pavlik

Alexander James Pavlik, 39, passed away on Sunday May 12, 2024, in Newport, Rhode Island. Alex was born October 10, 1984, at the Navy base hospital on Aquidneck Island. Alex grew up and attended Elementary through High School in Acton, Massachusetts. His creativity and love for family, friends, and animals resonated in all he did.…

Obituary: Ann K. Nichols

Ann K. Nichols, 83, of Portsmouth, RI, passed away in Newport Hospital on May 14, 2024. She was the wife of Gerald R. Nichols. Born in Rochester, NY, she was the daughter of the late Louis and Marie (Roy) Kimmel. Ann was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and sister. She was always there for her…

Obituary: Jay Johnson

Jay D. Johnson, 66, formerly of Portsmouth and Middletown, RI, died on May 7, 2024. Born in Brooklyn, NY on November 19, 1957, He was the son of the late Clarence and Pearl (Stenson) Johnson. Jay was a lifelong resident of Aquidneck Island. Throughout his life he loved sports, playing football from youth Pop Warner…

Obituary: Bruce Taylor

Bruce Wayne Taylor, 75, of Tiverton, RI (formerly of Newport) passed away on May 13, 2024, surrounded by his loving family. Born in New Bedford, MA to the late Theodore R. and Dorothy (Frates) Taylor on October 6, 1948. He was a graduate of Middletown High School, Class of 1966. He is predeceased by his…

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.