He was a proud Army Veteran and served 1976 until 1983 when he was medically disabled/ discharged, due to a split ulna nerve, while serving on the Army Rifle Team at Fort Gordon, Georgia. Ricky was a natural marksman. Before discharge he served this country as a member of the 141st Signal Battalion, US Army; he also served at Fort Riley, Fort Gordon, Fort Chaffee, Mannheim and Ansbach, West Germany.
After discharge he settled in Fort Smith, Arkansas (1983-1994) and worked as a teaching parent at the Fort Smith Boys Shelter. In 1994 he returned to his loved Smoky Mountains, and began tournament fishing. He was an avid outdoors-man.
Rick's ancestors settled the Smoky Mountains long before Tennessee's 1796 Statehood, mainly present day Union, Claiborne, Grainger, Hawkins and Hancock counties. He was proud of his deep roots; Brewer, Dalton, Myers, Livesay, McGinnis,Coffey, Hayes, Rucker, Beeler, Burnett, Keck, Bollinger, Miller, Giddens were but a few of his ancestors.
He was a proud Army Veteran and served 1976 until 1983 when he was medically disabled/ discharged, due to a split ulna nerve, while serving on the Army Rifle Team at Fort Gordon, Georgia. Ricky was a natural marksman. Before discharge he served this country as a member of the 141st Signal Battalion, US Army; he also served at Fort Riley, Fort Gordon, Fort Chaffee, Mannheim and Ansbach, West Germany.
After discharge he settled in Fort Smith, Arkansas (1983-1994) and worked as a teaching parent at the Fort Smith Boys Shelter. In 1994 he returned to his loved Smoky Mountains, and began tournament fishing. He was an avid outdoors-man.
Rick's ancestors settled the Smoky Mountains long before Tennessee's 1796 Statehood, mainly present day Union, Claiborne, Grainger, Hawkins and Hancock counties. He was proud of his deep roots; Brewer, Dalton, Myers, Livesay, McGinnis,Coffey, Hayes, Rucker, Beeler, Burnett, Keck, Bollinger, Miller, Giddens were but a few of his ancestors.
Gravesite Details
The grave is found on the top of Powell Ridge, over looking the Powell River, near Cumberland Gap, Tennessee.