I want to thank everyone for their messages and kind words as it relates to Rick. As many of you know, Rick for the formative years of my life was my father. Although he never married my Mom, he treated my like his son and nurtured me, cared for me and my Mom, and is a big reason I am where I am today. I have always told my wife, Andrea, that Rick and my uncle David Cripe were the backbone to my youth. They always put their arm around me and got me through tough times and they always believed in me when I did not believe in myself. I shared that with Lisa Waldron the night before Ricks passing, and Lisa said Rick use to talk about the trip that he, David and I took to California in 1988. That just melted me. We had so much fun on that trip. I was 18 years old and had my whole life in front of me. When I was a kid, Rick would take me everywhere with him. That was the common thread with Rick and David, they never, ever left me behind. I strongly believe that even though Rick has left this world, he still has not left me behind. His legacy will live in me forever. He was a sweet, kind, generous and giving man. He always put everyone elses happiness in front of his own. I actually thought this weekend that if I started a charitable organization to help the less fortunate, I would call it Ricks Legacy. Then I would print a shirt that said on the front, Ask me for this shirt and I will give to you. And on the back it would say, Because that is what Rick would have done. God bless you all. Hold tight the ones you love and dont be afraid to pick up the phone, type an email, or get in your car and go thank all the individuals that have positively impacted your life. Because, you might wake up one day and find yourself writing a Facebook post like this one wishing you could have told somebody how much they meant to you before its too late. If you have memories or stories to share about Rick, post those on his timeline. He touched way more lives than he will ever know.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 14:05:13 +0000