Jack Rickard Sr.

Marion Jack Rickard Sr., 76, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, July 18, 2005, at Missouri Veterans Home.

He was born June 12, 1929, in Cape Girardeau, son of Thomas and Ada Ruth Bratton Rickard. He and Ben Emerson were married Nov. 28, 1953, in Scott City.

Rickard was a 1946 graduate of Central High School. He was a general construction and masonry contractor and operated Jack Rickard Masonry Co. from 1967 to 1997. He was a former president of International Brotherhood of Masonry, member of Reserve Officers Club, Breakfast Optimist Club, VFW Post 3838, Elks Lodge 639 and a former member of Jaycees. He coached church league basketball for St. Vincent's 13 years.

He served two terms on Cape Girardeau City Council in the 1990s, and took great pride in the bike path work and the new water processing plant.

Rickard served in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict as a company commander of the 5th Army Corps of Engineers. He was company commander of the Army Reserve Unit in Cape Girardeau, having attained the rank of captain.

He is survived by his wife of Cape Girardeau; three sons, Marion Jack Rickard Jr. of Cape Girardeau, Thomas Rickard of Friendswood, Texas, Andy Rickard of Midland, Texas; two daughters, Patti Burnett of St. Louis, Carole Hedden of Carefree, Ariz.; two sisters, Dorothea Heise of Cape Girardeau, Mary Magee of Nashville, Tenn.; 16 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, five brothers and a sister, Thelvin F. Rickard, Melvin Rickard, Bernice Fitzpatrick, Warren A. Rickard, Thomas I. Rickard Jr. and Homer A. Rickard.

Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Funeral Home. Parish prayers will be at 7, Elks service at 7:30, and VFW service at 8.

The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Old St. Vincent's Church, with the Rev. Tom Kiefer officiating.

Memorial contributions may be made to Old St. Vincent's Church.