Richard A."Rick" Valdez

Rick Valdez passed away unexpectedly in his sleep on June 29, 2020 at his home in Aurora, Colorado. He was 71. He is survived by his wife Ingrid Valdez (nee Hansen); his children Marissa Streyle and Mark Valdez; his four granddaughters Francesca Streyle, Madison Valdez, Alexandra Streyle, and Riley Valdez; his mother Stella Valdez; his sister Christine Nicola and her family; and his former spouse Susanne Valdez (nee Franza). Rick was preceded in death by his father Chris Valdez.

Rick was born November 12, 1948 in Pueblo, Colorado. His parents were Stella Valdez (nee Espinoza) and Chris Abdon Valdez. Rick grew up near the Colorado Fuel & Iron Co. (CF&I) steel mill where his father worked. While attending Pueblo Catholic High School, Rick lettered in basketball, baseball and football. In 1966, Rick was graduated from Maryhurst Preparatory School in St. Louis, Missouri.

Rick attended St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from St. Mary's in 1971. He then earned the Master of Arts degree in urban affairs and public policy from St. Louis University in 1972. Rick was awarded the Urban Studies Fellowship from the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development. He pursued doctoral level studies as a University Fellow at the University of Delaware for 2 years.

Rick married Susanne Franza in San Antonio, Texas on Nov. 9, 1974. They made their home in St. Louis where Rick served two police departments in research, planning and development. In 1977 Rick launched his corporate career at Ernst & Whinney accounting firm. Their first child Marissa was born in 1978. Their son Mark was born in 1983.

Rick's career followed the trajectory of evolving technology and computerization from the 1970's to the 2000's. What started as a hobby in personal computing became his life's work. In 1983 he earned the certificate in data processing. In 1984 he became vice president for software development of Mentor Systems in Lexington, Kentucky. Rick married Ingrid Hansen on August 30, 1986 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Rick returned to his home state Colorado in 1991. He worked in corporate leadership with OPTIMUS Corp. and SciCom Data Services. By applying his passion for technology and his ability to interact with people, Rick's work enabled many government agencies and private industries to move toward computerization through the years.

Rick continued to learn, achieve, and contribute after retiring in 2006. He earned the commercial drivers license (CDL) in order to become a school bus driver. He worked for Cherry Creek School District for 9 years first as a bus driver, then a driver trainer and a CDL examiner. He began operating an even larger vehicle in 2016: a motorcoach. Arrow Stage Lines recognized Rick as an elite motorcoach operator and driver mentor. He especially enjoyed driving foreign travelers visiting Colorado. In 2019 he returned to school bus driving with Littleton Public Schools.

For the last 20 years of his life, Rick assisted his elderly mother Stella who had returned to Colorado. His four granddaughters were his pride and joy. In addition to supporting his family, Rick also contributed to the larger community. He volunteered for many groups including the Civil Air Patrol, the Unitarian church, and the Aurora golf board. Ever the technophile, Rick assisted numerous friends and family members with their technology, from general computing to specialized audio and GPS systems.

Sports was always important to Rick. He enjoyed sports both as a fan and as a participant. His dad was a St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan. They listened to ballgames on the radio together. One of Rick's fondest childhood memories was driving from Pueblo to St. Louis to see a Cardinals' game. Over the years he was a loyal fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, and Colorado Rockies.

Rick encouraged his children and grandchildren to participate in sports. He viewed sports as means of learning important values: discipline, practice, concentration, teamwork, perseverance, physical fitness and mental toughness. Rick pitched for the baseball team at Pueblo Catholic High School. During his early working life, he jogged and played basketball at several YMCA's. He taught himself how to pilot a motorboat and enjoyed teaching his kids how to waterski. He perfected his downhill skiing ability in the Rocky Mountains. Later he became an avid golfer. He did his best whether he was playing a casual round with friends, a league game or a tournament.

Learning is the only thing the mind never exhausts, never fears, and never regrets.
--- Leonardo daVinci

Rick's love of learning was a constant. He was an avid reader on many topics from technology and computers to music and sports. He closely followed current events and American politics. He was passionately concerned for the future of American democracy, civility and integrity, especially after having grandchildren.

Rick's outgoing nature was reflected in his travels and adventures. In 1987, he began flight training for the private pilot license. He earned the certificates in visual flight rules (VFR) and instrument flight rules (IFR) in 1988. Rick flew for pleasure and for business to locales ranging from Toronto, Canada to Tangier Island in the Chesapeake Bay to Leadville, Colorado and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Rick loved Colorado and the American Southwest. He took up motorcycle riding and enjoyed organizing trips and tours for his friends and for the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Riders Club. He enjoyed traveling overseas. Some of his favorite destinations were Australia, Egypt, the Panama Canal, and the island of Maui. In 2019 Rick and Ingrid celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary with a trip to Paris, France and London, England. They explored Normandy where Rick's father served during World War II. During the social distancing requirements of 2020, Rick took up bicycling and enjoyed exploring the bike trails around Denver.

Rick's family and friends will miss him more than words can express. He was buried at Fairmount Cemetery in Denver. The family requests that you remember Rick by donating to Food Bank of the Rockies at foodbankrockies.org or by mail: 10700 East 45th Avenue, Denver CO 80239.

To share a memory of Rick or leave a special condolence message for his family, please visit the guestbook below.