For about three decades I worked with Rick at Northark Arkansas College in Harrison. During that time we became friends and I grew to admire him so much. He was smart, creative, and had vision. His work helped launch the college’s EMT/paramedic program. He taught hundreds of allied health students. He gave up a safe faculty job to serve as director of planning, management and evaluation in a government grant program and developed the college’s first real mission, vision and values statements. In this process, he led all of the college departments to create goals, objectives, and strategies to achieve them. Rick founded the North Arkansas Partnership for Health Education (NAPHE) and served several years as its director. NAPHE, a partnership between Northark and Harrison’s local hospital, NARMC, pioneered efforts in smoking cessation and other healthy activities. When North Arkansas College merged with Twin Lakes Vocational Technical School, Rick was the liaison between the two institutions during the merger process. Rick accomplished great things at Northark, but he exceeded those accomplishments in life. He had more friends, and a more diverse network of friends, than anyone else I’ve ever known. After he moved to Fayetteville, we stayed in touch. Occasionally, he would call me to tell me he was thinking about me and tell me something he admired about me. Who does that? Only someone who loves life and the people in his life. When Gail and I decided to buy a small condo in Fayetteville to make attending Razorback games more convenient, Rick volunteered to ride around with me and show me areas he thought we’d like. I bought lunch, and he suggested La Media Luna, which became an instant favorite for me. After we bought a place on the walking and bicycling trail, I told Rick that Gail and I wanted to walk to his wonderful little house at Gulley Park. We wanted to meet Sandy and have a glass of wine in his back yard. But we couldn’t make it a round trip walk, so Rick and I decided I would drive to his house, leave my car and a bottle of wine, and he would take me back to my condo in his car and drop me off. That was the plan, but I sad to say we never got around to doing it. I miss Rick. He was special. He was someone I really admired. He was loved.
