Eulogy

To my baby brother.... you were so loved. I hope I made you proud!

Ricky Fred Niner, Jr. was born on November 2, 1984 in Washington, DC. He was welcomed into the world by his proud parents, Rickey and Kay Niner and his 4-year old sister, Amber, who was a little less than thrilled to welcome the new addition into the family. Most close friends recall how Rickey and Amber would go tumbling by punching and kicking and then the next second would be hugging and helping each other out. Sibling rivalry may have begun from the beginning but it was also the start of a wonderful friendship. Rickey was also blessed with two wonderful stepparents, Clay and Kathy, who loved him like their own, grandmothers who adored him, many aunts and uncles, and twin nieces and a nephew who could not get enough of their “Uncle Icky.”

From day one, Rickey approached life with a fun-loving yet mischievous streak. As a toddler, he is said to have never sat still and would get into anything and everything imaginable. The stories of his childhood and teenage antics could go on forever and always make for a great laugh.

Like the time, Rickey and his childhood friend Nicholas decided to take a little bathroom break outside and were caught peeing on their big wheels in the driveway. Or, the time his Grandma Doo was watching him for the day and he somehow convinced her to let him put real handcuffs on her. His mom got a phone call at work that day and all she could hear in the background was Grandma saying, “Darling, let Grandma out of these handcuffs now” and Rickey yelling “NO. You’re a wobber!” And then we can’t forget the story when Rickey and his friend Allen took a trip to Ocean City and decided to take a net and fish out all of the jellyfish they could find. They had heard that you could make itching powder from them so they put them all over the docks around them in hopes that people would step on them and their feet would itch. They came in and proudly announced what they did and said “we caught a lot too!”

Rickey was a very social person and made many great friends through the years as he was growing up. However, while they were great friends, they also shared in Rickey’s devilish behavior especially his good friend David Thompson. They attended school together through the years from elementary school to Westlake High School where they finally graduated in 2002. The joke is that both sets of parents were ready to do the "Hallelujah Dance" on graduation day and truth be told the teachers and principal of Westlake High were probably celebrating too. It may not have always been funny at the time but now we all get a good laugh at how the school principal announced to Rickey’s mom and MaryJo Thompson that he had their numbers programmed into his speed dial throughout the high school years.

But while Rickey caused his share of trouble, we all knew that he had the kindest spirit. He would have done anything for those he cared about without a single complaint and he was totally devoted to his friends and family. Everyone who was close to Rickey knew that he was a total Mama’s boy. He wanted Mommy by his side at all times and she had to volunteer at his school for years just so that he could sense her close-by. You would think that may change a bit as the teenage years approached, but unlike most teenage boys, Rickey never hesitated to tell his mom how much he loved her. It never mattered how many friends were around or how uncool that might make him. He would announce “I am a Mama’s Boy and proud of it.”

Rickey was blessed with fiance, Evie, who he was with for more than 8 years. They had two children together, Brendon who is 7 years old and Riley who just turned 1 on Halloween. She was their little Halloween baby. Rickey adored his family and his favorite thing to do was to spend time with the kids… playing video games or rough housing with his “Buddy” as he always called Brendon and giving lots of love and kisses to his sweet baby girl. While Rickey adored both children, he was reveling in how it felt to have a Daddy’s little girl. He would ask family and friends if they felt that way about their baby girls. Most everyone agreed especially his brother-in-law Tony.

Besides spending time with family, Rickey had many other hobbies including hanging out with his dad in the garage restoring his old truck. They had lots of fun working on that project and had planned to go to truck shows to show it off once it was all complete. Rickey was very excited to attend the truck shows and he will still get the chance although not in the way that we all hoped he would. He also enjoyed fishing and four-wheeling with his brother-in-law Tony. And at one point, Rickey announced that he wanted to be a chef. And not just any chef, he wanted to be a chef at the White House. This came about after a White House Chef visited their cooking class in high school. Rickey did love to grill and cook but he was also an extremely picky eater so we don’t think he would have made it far in culinary school. He would have spent more time gagging than cooking.

This loss came as a total shock and our lives will never ever be the same. Most of us are still reeling from the news and are struggling minute by minute to make sense of how this could have possibly happened. Everyone has their idea of where Rickey may be, but the best explanation came from Rickey’s son Brendon. At only 7 years old, he shared the most profound view of why God chose to take his Daddy to heaven. When told the news that his Daddy had gone to heaven, Brendon did not start crying or start asking why. He simply stated that God chose his Daddy to come to heaven so he could make apple trees. And, what better job for someone as tall and strong as his best buddy and Daddy?

The outpouring of love from Rickey’s friends has been truly overwhelming whether it be through phone calls, emails, and even Face Book. The family asked for friends to share their favorite memories and stories of Rickey and almost every one was about how laid-back, funny, and crazy Rickey was. He was always up for having a good time and for making the best out of what was thrown his way.

Rickey may not physically be here any longer but he is always close by to each and every one of us. Whether he is hanging out in the garage finishing the truck restoration with his dad, standing over his mom’s shoulder while she bakes saying “this cake is the bomb G”, watching his son’s soccer games or his daughter learning her first words, or joining in a party with his friends… there will not be a single moment when he is not with us. He is and always will be a part of all of us.

So, let’s make today a celebration of Rickey’s life instead of crying over what is lost. Let’s laugh at the good memories, enjoy the company of friends, and have the best time that we possibly can under these circumstances. After all, there is no doubt that Rickey would be up for joining a party!

We will always love you Rickey. We are so thankful to have an extra special guardian angel watching over us today.