"Porky" as Rick was affectionately known by his buddies was an intelligent and considerate person who had an incredible sense of humor. We were friends from the first grade at El Centro School. I still tell people to this day of the time I dislocated my elbow in PE football at SPHS and passed out. When I came to, Ricky walked up to the nurses office with me. The school nurse got on the phone to let the hospital know I was on my way and and when she was asked "Is he ambulatory" she responded "Yes". Someone else sitting in the office overheard her conversation and asked, "What does ambulatory mean?". Porky without a moment of hesitation said,"It means he's afraid of ambulances". Everyone in earshot erupted in laughter including me. Ricky was my good friend and my Mom loved him like a son. He was a good guy.
Ricky or Porky always had a smile for everyone. I remember him when we had to go to the library and Mrs Sirolos would continually ask him to stop fussing during story time. He would sit and give his own running commentary on whatever she was reading, and make us all laugh and get in trouble. I hated Math in my senior year, but just having him in the same class made it tolerable. He was one of those people that you remember through the years, because of his smile and infectious laugh.
Mark Simmons told me some great stories about Rick during high school football. Rick would always stick his head into a collision with no regard to his health or safety. He also had terrible eyesight so Simmy said that he had some great accidental collisions over the years. He also did some monumental stunts while visiting the Silvestri's house in Leucadia. I believe that there may have been some alcohol involved in a few of the stories but it would be better to ask Pat, David, or Mark. Rick taught me to drive while we were in junior high school, thanks to his mom's policy of letting us have her car. It's amazing that we didn't get into any more trouble but it was a small town - I'm sure that everybody knew what we were up to.
I remember Rick much the same way that Simmons did--on the football field activities. Also, Rick, I and a few other kids in junior high did our share of pranks, which were always fun and memorable. An infectious laugh with a desire to have fun...that was Rick.
Porky was awesome...Nina would make us choriso and eggs after she yelled at Rick for something he probably didn"t do. How about playing Casino in the basement. Elton John...YellowBrick Road. I miss you Rick!!!
Rick always made ya laugh...Remember how fast he spoke? We would hang for hours in that garage/room of his and listen to music. I remember one party at Silvestri's in So Pas and he kept playing that live Sly & The Family Stone Album over and over again. To this day when I hear, "I wanna take you higher", I still immediately think of Rick. Like my brother Scott, seems to me Ricky went a little nuts...But Lord, I do remember some truly wonderful times with a completely unique friend.
Ok, I'm looking at the comments about Porky and the memories keep coming back. So I have to add another story 'cause there are so many when you have a bud for so long.... Steve Owens and Rick and a couple others of us were playing up in the Monterey Hills before all the hills were developed, as we did so often. We were playing army and Steve was maybe two hundred feet or so down the hill from Rick. I was running and was about ten feet from Steve when we see Rick up the hill yell "bonsai" as he throws a disposable glass soda bottle down the hill toward us, you know like it was a hand grenade, right? No malas of forethought at all on Rick's part...just throwing a "hand grenade" down the hill cause we're playin' army. So I look up and see this bottle coming kind of near Steve and me and I yell.... "Look out Steve!". Of course Steve ducks, covers his neck with his hands, and sprints about fifteen feet to one side to avoid the incoming bottle, without the benefit of seeing the projectile in the air. Now if he had stayed where he was Steve would have been fine....but as luck would have it , or in this case not have it, he ran right under where the bottle was going to land and it hit him right smack on top of the head! He starts spirting blood from his wound as he runs up the hill to chase Rick for beaning him before his attention turns to dealing with his wound. Rick, completely dejected for having inadvertantely smacked his buddy with a "hand grenade", runs down the hill to help Steve. We get down the hill and get to my back yard where my mom sees this all going on from her kitchen window, and blood all over Steve's head and face...but she's used to seeing this kind of thing and her red Volkswagon Squareback is always set on autopilot for Huntington Hospital....you know, this is not mom's first rodeo. Mom speeds Steve to get his 10 stiches in his head while Rick and I stayed at our house. And Rick, in utter dismay says to me, "Why does this stuff always happen to me?!". God I loved him...the memories just keep on coming.
Bob Simpson
"Porky" as Rick was affectionately known by his buddies was an intelligent and considerate person who had an incredible sense of humor. We were friends from the first grade at El Centro School. I still tell people to this day of the time I dislocated my elbow in PE football at SPHS and passed out. When I came to, Ricky walked up to the nurses office with me. The school nurse got on the phone to let the hospital know I was on my way and and when she was asked "Is he ambulatory" she responded "Yes". Someone else sitting in the office overheard her conversation and asked, "What does ambulatory mean?". Porky without a moment of hesitation said,"It means he's afraid of ambulances". Everyone in earshot erupted in laughter including me. Ricky was my good friend and my Mom loved him like a son. He was a good guy.Donna Franklin
Ricky or Porky always had a smile for everyone. I remember him when we had to go to the library and Mrs Sirolos would continually ask him to stop fussing during story time. He would sit and give his own running commentary on whatever she was reading, and make us all laugh and get in trouble. I hated Math in my senior year, but just having him in the same class made it tolerable. He was one of those people that you remember through the years, because of his smile and infectious laugh.Timothy Bennett
Mark Simmons told me some great stories about Rick during high school football. Rick would always stick his head into a collision with no regard to his health or safety. He also had terrible eyesight so Simmy said that he had some great accidental collisions over the years. He also did some monumental stunts while visiting the Silvestri's house in Leucadia. I believe that there may have been some alcohol involved in a few of the stories but it would be better to ask Pat, David, or Mark. Rick taught me to drive while we were in junior high school, thanks to his mom's policy of letting us have her car. It's amazing that we didn't get into any more trouble but it was a small town - I'm sure that everybody knew what we were up to.Alan Hueth
I remember Rick much the same way that Simmons did--on the football field activities. Also, Rick, I and a few other kids in junior high did our share of pranks, which were always fun and memorable. An infectious laugh with a desire to have fun...that was Rick.Karen Clifford (Romano)
Porky was awesome...Nina would make us choriso and eggs after she yelled at Rick for something he probably didn"t do. How about playing Casino in the basement. Elton John...YellowBrick Road. I miss you Rick!!!Dana Miller
Rick always made ya laugh...Remember how fast he spoke? We would hang for hours in that garage/room of his and listen to music. I remember one party at Silvestri's in So Pas and he kept playing that live Sly & The Family Stone Album over and over again. To this day when I hear, "I wanna take you higher", I still immediately think of Rick. Like my brother Scott, seems to me Ricky went a little nuts...But Lord, I do remember some truly wonderful times with a completely unique friend.Bob Simpson
Ok, I'm looking at the comments about Porky and the memories keep coming back. So I have to add another story 'cause there are so many when you have a bud for so long.... Steve Owens and Rick and a couple others of us were playing up in the Monterey Hills before all the hills were developed, as we did so often. We were playing army and Steve was maybe two hundred feet or so down the hill from Rick. I was running and was about ten feet from Steve when we see Rick up the hill yell "bonsai" as he throws a disposable glass soda bottle down the hill toward us, you know like it was a hand grenade, right? No malas of forethought at all on Rick's part...just throwing a "hand grenade" down the hill cause we're playin' army. So I look up and see this bottle coming kind of near Steve and me and I yell.... "Look out Steve!". Of course Steve ducks, covers his neck with his hands, and sprints about fifteen feet to one side to avoid the incoming bottle, without the benefit of seeing the projectile in the air. Now if he had stayed where he was Steve would have been fine....but as luck would have it , or in this case not have it, he ran right under where the bottle was going to land and it hit him right smack on top of the head! He starts spirting blood from his wound as he runs up the hill to chase Rick for beaning him before his attention turns to dealing with his wound. Rick, completely dejected for having inadvertantely smacked his buddy with a "hand grenade", runs down the hill to help Steve. We get down the hill and get to my back yard where my mom sees this all going on from her kitchen window, and blood all over Steve's head and face...but she's used to seeing this kind of thing and her red Volkswagon Squareback is always set on autopilot for Huntington Hospital....you know, this is not mom's first rodeo. Mom speeds Steve to get his 10 stiches in his head while Rick and I stayed at our house. And Rick, in utter dismay says to me, "Why does this stuff always happen to me?!". God I loved him...the memories just keep on coming.