Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Rick came from a hard-working family of war veterans. His maternal grandfather fought in WWII, stationed in the South Pacific, where he met and married his wife of nearly 50 years. They settled in San Francisco and raised nine children, where his grandfather worked for the US Post Office. Rick’s mother worked as a nurse’s aid for most of her life and taught Rick the importance of self-sufficiency and resilience.

Rick went to work at the age of nine as a newspaper delivery boy and has been working hard ever since. In High School, his teachers believed him to be gifted and suggested he transfer to a school better suited to his needs. Rick has always excelled in sports and is verbally and mechanically gifted.
At a young age, Rick was first exposed to entrepreneurship quickly opened and managed several small businesses, in addition to attending school for aircraft mechanics. He is soft-spoken, but quick to smile, and always has a kind word or helping hand for everyone he meets. At present, he is medically advised not to work, but he continues to volunteer and offer assistance to friends who need his expertise.

In March 2021, on his 45th birthday, after surviving Covid-19, Rick was diagnosed with worsening Cardiomyopathy and his doctors say he has less than a year to live, without a lifesaving heart transplant. He is seeking donations through Help Hope Live because of their fiscal responsibility and ethical use of fundraising dollars. He has been rejected by many major insurance companies and denied by Medicare of California, due to a glitch in the system that seems impossible to overcome. He is currently fighting to get on Medical and to raise funds in case he cannot be insured on time and for his aftercare and medication expenses. We have all heard stories of people who die waiting for their transplant surgeries and Rick is determined not be one of those unfortunate people victimized by the senseless greed of the insurance companies.