Epilogue
Rick didn't leave much of a paper trail documenting his accomplishments. Much of his life was lived "off the grid," as he searched for meanings beyond the everyday clutter of life.
His legacy may be difficult to discern but for me - and many others, I'm sure - it is profound. He gave me some great ideas, introduced me to some great music, helped me see the world in a brand-new way, inspired me (still to this day) with his graciousness and goodwill to everyone, no matter who they were or what they had done, and made me aware (to this day) that ideals actually can be practiced in a real and imperfect world.
Rick was so entirely unique that I don't expect to ever be so lucky as to meet someone even remotely like him again. Spending time with him was like subscribing to a listserv of all that was fascinating. I don’t recall a single quotidian conversation with him; everything he said was worth revisiting multiple times. Yet he also had a great sense of humor (I still tell his ham sandwich joke to all my friends). Rick never ended his pursuit of ideals; what I learned from him is that reaching those ideals doesn’t matter nearly as much as sharing the quest for them with someone else. So I’m grateful for the times that Rick let me ride along with him on his path. I miss his deep intellectual insights. But even more, I miss the remarkably gracious, wonderful man that he was.
--Rick's Arizona friend