Alan Ricker

Alan Ricker

CRYSTAL FALLS — Alan Robert Ricker, 73, of Crystal Falls, passed away on October 29th, 2022 at Aspirus Hospital in Iron River from complications of Parkinson’s Disease. Alan (Al) was born in the Village of Rockville Centre in Nassau County, on Long Island, N.Y., on Dec. 11, 1948, to Doris Lillian Ricker (Reitschel) and Robert Alan Ricker. He spent his early years in Massapequa, Long Island, N.Y., and in 1962 his family relocated to Hanover Park, Ill. He graduated from Conant High School in 1967 and wished to serve in the military as so many of his family members had but to his dismay was ineligible. Al enrolled at Harper College and received an associate degree in business. After becoming a journeyman carpenter, Al married Ruth Hlavaty and bought a fixer-upper in Cary, Ill. They then had two daughters, Jenny and Cindy. Seeking year-round and stable employment, Al started working for Community Consolidated School District 15 in Palatine, Ill. in the mid ’80s. He loved working with his friend Terry, and many others at CCSD#15. Al was always keen to work overtime and on-call weekend emergencies, often involving York HVAC issues and was part of the snow plow team. His children and grandchildren recall many a weekend spent in a darkened school watching Al repair some random catastrophic system failure. From plumbing to electrical, security systems to ADA modifications, no job was too much for Al. His evenings were often filled with side jobs, but no matter how many hours Al put in, neither of his daughters can remember their dad saying he didn’t have the time. He loved to modify their home, and had a habit of spontaneously starting major projects. His wife and daughters returned from church one Sunday, to find the only bathroom in the house gutted down to the wall studs (which may have contributed to divorce). Just like a mechanic who never changes the oil on their car because they are working on other people’s cars, Al also had a habit of not quite finishing projects to start on a new one. In one memorable instance he decided to build a birdhouse with his daughter Cindy who was in first grade, and they finished the birdhouse together one weekend when she was home from college. Al was famous for always doing it right, and over-engineering. A playhouse with a crawlspace and 2×6 framing, or a roof that was designed to survive an F-4 tornado, overkill was his brand. Al never felt that “Caulk and paint will do what it ain’t.” If he didn’t do it right, he would often start over. Al and Ruth divorced in 1997 but always focused on their children as a team. After retiring from CCSD#15, as a building engineer, Al started spending more time with his daughters, and he turned his love for music into a passion for karaoke often visiting local bars in Chicago and Blue Island for karaoke nights where you can always come as you are. Until his recent move to Iron County Medical Care Facility, he was living in Crystal Falls with his oldest daughter Jenny and her family. Al always loved anything with an engine: airplanes, submarines, helicopters, and most of all cars. His first car was a 56 Ford; then Al bought a 1963 Corvair, (the first of many Corvairs) and fell in love with this poor man’s Porsche. He was stopped for drag racing and received a few speeding tickets. In 1972, on a Honda 450 motorcycle, Al went on a two-month, cross-county road trip with his close friend Byron, sleeping in old barns and roadsides, fixing breakdowns as they went, and having adventures along the way. They woke up every morning and picked a new direction from the Rand McNally Atlas, always heading for something interesting or to visit old friends and family. Later Al worked hard to recreate parts of that trip with his family in a 1977 Chevy Van, that covered almost 5,000 miles over a three-week period every summer. Al loved to travel and he loved history. From the battlefields of Gettysburg to Little Big Horn, from Long Beach to the Bay of Fundy, from Mystic Seaport to White Sands, and Maine to California, he wanted to share his love of the open road, thirst for history, and his need for adventure with his family. Alan loved sci-fi. Good sci-fi, bad sci-fi and so much in between. “Svengoolie,” “Quantum Leap,” “Eureka,” “Tremors,” “Supernatural,” “Galaxy Quest,” Maximum Overdrive,” “Night of the Comet” and so many more. He loved movie quotes and one liners. He would want to remind you to “Never give up, never surrender!” and to always “Live long and prosper.” Alan is survived by, his daughters and sons-in-laws, Jennifer Ricker-Feak and Louis Feak Jr. of Crystal Falls, Cynthia Brown and Joshua Brown of Janesville, Wis.; his grandchildren, Rayanon (Rainy) Baros (partner Jason Williams), Savanna Hunter-Feak, and Violet Brown; his great-grandchildren, Hayden Rose and Micah Williams; his sister and brother-in-law, Lois and Nick Infelise; his brother, Jeffry Ricker; his sister-in-law, Debbie Ricker; his nieces and nephews, Jessica Infelise (partner John Datzman), Matt Infelise (partner Kristina Drake), Christian Ricker (wife Kelly Ricker), Kati Pessin (husband Jeremy Pessin), Brian Ricker (partner Andrew Ponzio), Katherine Ricker (fiancé Kristen Whitney); and many great-nieces and nephews, cousins, and close friends, Byron and Carol, Terry and Judy, Vito and Connie, Corvair Jeff, Mark, Ruben, Ginger, Michelle, Kenny and so many others. Alan is preceded in death by his mother, Doris Ricker and father Robert Ricker; and his brother, Richard Ricker. A Celebration of Life Gathering will be held on Sunday, Nov. 20, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Beechwood Historical Society Hall, located at 178 Beechwood Store Road, Iron River, MI 49935. Family and friends will officiate, a potluck meal will be served. A gathering for Illinois friends and family will be planned at a later date this winter. Memorials in lieu of cards or flowers may be made in the memory of Alan Robert Ricker, to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research at PO BOX 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741. The family would like to extend our sincere thanks to all Aspirus Iron River Hospital Staff and especially Respiratory Therapist Dave, who worked hard to keep Al as comfortable as possible. The family has trusted Nash Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Crystal Falls with Alan’s final wishes.