Ricke D Smith Obituary (1978 - 2020)

It was a cold morning on December 18, 1978 when Ricke D Smith joined our family. Along with his parents, Kevin and Vicki Smith, and his siblings, Kevin, Kendall (Thedea), Neil (Sirinity), Amber (Jeff) Hawker, and Lew (Vanessa) Limb, he began his first adventure. Growing up in a home and neighborhood filled with boys, Ricke enjoyed many creative escapades. Whether it was building a fort, playing laser tag, or competing as a baseball catcher or soccer goalie, Ricke was a force to reckon with. He loved to have fun and was competitive and willing to work hard and stay busy. Ricke was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when he was 6 years old. Throughout his life, this disease was challenging for him. He became our teacher as we watched him struggle with health issues, yet bounce back quickly with his mischievous grin and fun loving escapades. This continued throughout his life. On August 27th, 2006, Ricke married Lucy Goodman, who was the love of his life. Their children, Prestin Goodman, Tashia Grover, Harley Grover, and Ashley Smith have had front row seats on this journey of life. Together, they have spent time sharing family activities, such as cutting wood, camping, hunting and riding 4-wheelers. Their greatest adventures were the time they spent playing together as a family. Ricke loved and admired each of his children, especially Prestin’s gentle, tender heart, Tashia’s determination to do what she believes to be right, Harley’s quiet strength, and Ashley’s ability to make him laugh. Ricke enjoyed becoming a grandpa. It was delightful to watch him hold and talk to his granddaughter, Brooklyn, whom he loved. He enjoyed his family and close friends. His love for life was contagious and drew people to him. His nieces and nephews looked forward to having fun with Uncle Ricke. He was genuinely loved and felt the blessings of their many prayers. He had a special bond with his grandmother, Bernice Limb. He often called to see how she was doing. Ricke blended his enthusiasm for the outdoors and his love of learning into a career as he began working on cell phone towers at AT&T. He loved doing this challenging work. In order to be home, which was in Cedar City, Utah, Ricke began working for Centurylink. Sometimes it was hard to tell where his work ended and fun began. On November 2nd, 2020, Ricke’s family gathered together to bid him farewell. We lovingly supported him as he moved from our arms into his next adventure. Ricke wants you to know that he is moving forward with enthusiasm, happiness and renewed energy. He can now experience life without pain, pills and medical devices. He has been enjoying a reunion with family and friends who have missed him, including his grandparents and uncles. They are enjoying his mischievous grin and the sparkle in his beautiful blue eyes. We are certain that he will continue his fun loving escapades as soon as he has rested, settled in and the cousins and friends connect. Ricke, we love and miss you greatly. We appreciate and honor you and will hold you in our hearts forever. You did it hon, you finished this mortal challenge! Please check on us from time to time. Godspeed, to our dear loved one. We want to express our appreciation to the medical staff at the Iron Mission Dialysis Center in Cedar City for their continued support and encouragement. We are grateful for the many, many medical doctors and nurses who helped Ricke along the path of life. A graveside service will be held on Monday, November 9, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. at the Murray City Cemetery, 5600 South Vine Street, Murray, Utah.