Featured Folks Of Interest RIP: Rick Bales

Rick was a great guy. I first met him at the Lonestar Roundup almost 20 years ago and always enjoyed visiting with him at different events in the years that followed. I was happy to finally introduce my wife to him recently at the Gathering at the Roc.

Rick was around my dad's age and they both carried some of the same all-around qualities of being a Great Man.
Dad passed away just before Christmas. I can only hope they are now friends.
May they both Rest in Peace.

 

Not a sad story but a great one of somebody that people respected and looked forward to seeing. We should all desire to be that way.

 

This was a tough one for me.

I've known Ricky since the early 70's, after he joined the Roarin' 30's of Missouri, with his "Rick's T Delivery". He had a LOT more hair back then. LOL

I used to pop in over at his house periodically, as a teenager, and always enjoyed just hanging out in his garage while the Lindenwood college radio station was playing the bluegrass show.

Ricky was good to me. I wore out a few of his 1932 Louver Company T-shirts, a 3 louver belt buckle, and punched louvers in the historic plates that were on my '54 F100. He even did some welding on the front end setup under my

When the CrossMembersCC started our Hot Rod Hundred events, I gave Ricky a call to invite him. I believe it was shortly after he had to wear his external heart pump, but he was excited to have a "driving event" to participate in. He was definitely an unofficial ambassador of the St Louis run, and even came down to run the Springfield one a few years back, too.

A while after I took over "the briefcase" of the Roarin' 30's of Missouri, I got a call from Ricky. He was asking for my mailing address, but he wouldn't tell me why. A few days later, I got a box in the mail with a Roarin' 30's car club banner that had been missing for over 35 years. Somehow he convinced Tom Pekel to send it to him so he could give it to me.

Ricky had a big influence on me. He was a great example of a guy who lived his life to love everyone. I'm going to miss him.