- Date Of Death: May 4, 2015
- State: Arizona
On May 4, 2015, Rick Covey teed up for his first round of heavenly golf, after spending 73 years honing his skills in preparation for this new course. We smile at the thought of the joyous 19th hole welcoming he received from family and friends.
Rick was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on February 17, 1942, the oldest son of Rich and Mitzie Covey. Steve and Rob joined the family a few years later. He spent his youth tormenting his younger siblings while ice skating, sledding, and vacationing in Canada. His fondest early memories were of swimming and fishing in the lakes near Park Rapids, Minnesota. Rick’s love of cars started in his teens and never ended – Precious, his cherished Corvette, will miss his tinkering.
In 1959, Rick’s parents moved the family to Phoenix, Arizona, right after buying Rob that famous never-to-be-used sled. Rick completed high school at Camelback High, lettering in track. He went on to earn his BA in Business Administration from the University of Arizona. To enhance his university experience, he joined Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity in his freshman year. Through this organization, strong bonds of friendship were created, including the one with life-long friend, Richard Parker. The highlight of these years came with a senior year decision to enroll in an education class to meet girls.” His mission was accomplished when he met Sue Williams. Not only did he meet her, they married shortly after graduation, on October 17, 1964. It was a partnership meant to endure: last year they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary while cruising the North Atlantic, with stops ashore to enjoy the fall colors.
After a brief honeymoon in Vegas, the newlyweds embarked on a new and challenging adventure: parenthood. Mindy, Rich, and Jenny made Rick a father three times over. He took great pride in his children, and was not shy about patting himself on the back for their amazing accomplishments. After a long wait, and much to his surprise and delight, all three of his children found spouses he approved.
In order to support his wife and children, Rick slayed the dragons at General Electric, hawking two-way radios, for most of his working years. He was a stellar sales manager, earning several incentive awards including the family’s first microwave and a family trip to Hawaii. GE was also a source of some of his lifelong friends.
Although work and family kept him busy, Rick valued his free time. He loved his dogs, dachshunds especially, his toys-cars, planes, and boat-golf with his buddies, and spending time with his honey doing anything but shopping. When not grilling or fixing or tinkering around the house, he could be found on the couch, with a furry companion in his lap (most recently Bailey and Bogey) watching golf, baseball, basketball, or football on TV. He enjoyed his Rotary Club, and after his children had grown, he adopted a gift of life family, thus adding Fidel, Haymee, Beto and Kareem to his ever-expanding family tree.
Firstborn child, first to drive, first to own a car, first to graduate, first to marry, first to have children, first to have a “real job,” first to own a house, first to become a grandpa, Rick was the groundbreaker for the family. He taught his family many valuable life lessons, including how to hang a spoon off your “beak.” Although he wasn’t the first to say these, he was known for repeating these Rickisms: “I’ll wash up. You save France.
He and his humor will be missed by his large extended family. Both of his siblings got married and had children of their own. Steve met Susie and gave him a niece and nephew, Sarah and Josh. Josh married Monica and they gave him a grandniece Milagros. Steve remarried to Dana. Rob met Karla and gave him another niece and nephew, Alexis and Charles. Alexis married Mike and Charles married Stephanie. His marriage to Sue brought two more siblings: Russ and Doug. Russ married Judy and they gave him three nieces and a nephew: Leah, Krista, Brett, and Kira. Leah married Michael and they gave him grandnieces and nephews, Addison, Hudson, and Emery. Krista married Garon and they gave him a grandniece and nephew, Reese and Garrett. Brett married Michelle and they gave him a grandnephew, Winn. Kira married Brett. Doug married Kristi, and she brought Missi to the marriage. Missi gave him a grandnephew Mason. His Aunt Joan and his cousins, Sue and Dick, David and Linda, Sheri and Chuck, Bill, David and Elizabeth, Clay and Doreen, and Nanette, also survive him. These surviving families, and his good friends, will remember him for his witty sense of humor, his love of family (including the family pets), his golf handicap, and his devotion to God.
