Rick was a man who lived his entire life devoted to serving others. He was a member of the United States Marine Corps from 1989-1993. He was a dedicated youth group leader and deacon at his church for over 15 years. He worked as a corrections officer at the Bartholomew County jail‚ where he was known to be compassionate and willing to help anyone in need‚ no matter what they had done.

He is survived by his wife‚ Christy‚ and his children‚ Andy (19)‚ Elizabeth (18)‚ Eric (11)‚ Abby (9). He was most importantly a loving and caring husband and father to his four children.

After witnessing and assisting‚ to the best of his ability‚ with an automobile accident while traveling home from work one evening‚ Rick decided to join the German Township Volunteer Fire Department in June of 2007. He said this was because he never wanted to feel helpless in that kind of situation again and wanted to be able to help people in the best way possible. It became his true passion. It pained Rick to ever have to miss a run for any reason. As in all other areas of his life‚ he became known in the department for his infectious smile and laughter.

Rick never met a stranger and would have given the shirt off of his back to anyone who asked. Rick was an avid Indianapolis Colts fan and was very proud of his children for following in those footsteps. He also enjoyed collecting anything related to the military and took the opportunity to target practice with his guns at any opportunity he had. When he wasn’t busy with the fire department or his family‚ you could most likely find Rick in front of the Xbox‚ enjoying taking out the bad guys in the latest war related video game.

Rick’s presence and involvement with his community and family will forever be missed. The impact he had on all around him will never be forgotten.