Rick Rickards

(From Parker Mortuary)

William Rodney "Rick" Rickards, age 92, Hot Springs, Arkansas, passed away on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at Vitas Hospice in Houston, Texas.

Rick was born October 7, 1923 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, son of the late William and Marie Rickards. He graduated from High School in Philadelphia, and then served in the United States Army during World War II. He was a high speed radio operator, and did reconnaissance missions and radioed his findings back to the Army via secret codes. He was involved with the documentation used with the Chinese regarding the surrender, and received a medal from the Chinese government for his help in this matter. He returned to the Philadelphia area and graduated from Drexel College with his degree in Civil Engineering. He worked in Joplin, Missouri helping design Forest Park Baptist Church, and also worked on the Waste Water Treatment Plant in Philadelphia. He meet Wilma Marie Smith whom he married September 2, 1944 in Joplin, she preceded him in death on October 22, 1987. He retired from Bayer as a senior buyer in 1993 at the age of 70. During his younger years he was very active in the Boy Scouts of America where he was a former Scout Leader, an Eagle Scout, and both his sons and a grandson are also Eagle Scouts. He moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas after retirement, and enjoyed fishing, and line dancing, where he met Betty Medlock, whom he married on October 3, 2007 in Hot Springs.

Survivors include his wife, Betty, of Hot Springs; two sons, Steven Rickards and wife Linda of Houston, Texas, Rob Rickards and wife Patty of Bartlesville, Oklahoma; brother, Richard "Dick" Rickards, Sr. of Florida; grandchildren, Stephanie Rickards, Jessica Zavala (Ulises), Sean Rickards, Lindsey Rickards (Jess Malicoat), Cortney Rickards, Rachel Hodges (Curtis), Robyn Rickards; great-grandchildren, Cayden Rickards and Rykar Malicoat.

Funeral services will be Saturday, May 7, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at Caruth-Hale Funeral Home, 1555 Section Line Road, Hot Springs, Arkansas, 71913. The family will receive friends at Caruth-Hale Funeral Home on Friday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Cremation will follow the service, and inurnment of his ashes will be at a later date in Ozark Memorial Park Cemetery, Joplin, Missouri with full military honors.

The family requests memorial contributions may be made to The Caring Place in Hot Springs, or to The Boy Scouts of America.