Funeral/Memorial service

Greeting

     On behalf of the York family, I want to welcome you and thank you for joining us here for the memorial of Ricky Bill York. We thank you for your many expressions of love and concern for the family.

     With your permission, I would like to open us up with a scripture reading from Psalm 23, and a word of prayer.

     Heavenly Father, we thank you for today. We thank you for the time that we had with Ricky. We thank you for the memories that we share. We pray for peace and comfort for those who love him. We know my God and we take comfort in the fact they he is with you. Lord it’s for those who are left behind that we pray for strength, for courage and for understanding. It’s for those my God, that I would pray, would fill their lives with your presence and would come to experience the grace of God through Jesus Christ for themselves. We pray these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Obituary

Ricky Bill York was born in Monroe, Michigan, on July 15 1955.

He was born from the union of the late William Vance York and the late Mary Deloris York and raised with five other siblings. He attended Monroe public schools.

Ricky would marry the former, Georgia Lea Morgan, on May 18, 1977, in Fort Gay West Virginia and together they would have three children of their own.

Ricky had an eye for detail and for many years would support his family as an auto body repairman until his medical retirement in 2001.

A man of unwavering faith his mantra was, “I love Jesus and denim.” Being a wonderful husband and father, he led his family as an excellent example. Just as Christ, he had unconditional love for those around him, and he instilled the value of keeping one’s faith strong. Family was most important to Ricky and he cherished the time he spent with them, especially his grandchildren.

Ricky was an avid outdoorsman, and he loved hunting and fishing. Being quite talented with his hands he enjoyed wood working. Ricky loved listening to country music whenever completing any task, and, on occasion, he could also be caught playing the harmonica.

Ricky Bill York age 64, of Newport passed away at home unexpectantly at 12:53 am on Sunday, April 19th,2020. He had been in declining health. In addition to his parents his passing was preceded by a brother William York and a stepson, Randy Myrice.

To cherish his memory, Ricky leaves his beloved wife of forty-two years, Georgia York of Newport. His one son; Troy with April York. His two daughters; Moly with Jason Hill and Billy with Richard Fountain. Also, his twelve grandchildren; Tyler York, Drake York, Nathan York, Taylor Hill, Kameron Fountain, Leah Fountain, Brody Hill, Drew Fountain, Ricky Fountain, Ella Fountain, Liv Turner and Paige Metcalf; one brother; John and Sandy Jewell; three sisters; Patricia and Bobby Carter, Barbra and Charlie Budd,  and Teresa and James Crawford.

As an animal lover, Ricky is also survived by his furry four- legged companions; Maggie and his little buddy; Greyson Kohler.

Eulogy

     I would like to start out by saying it’s not easy when you lose someone you love, especially someone like Ricky who was surrounded by so many that loved him. And no matter what anyone says, life can never be the same again, because you’re the one who lost someone special to you. And death cuts us to the bone. It messes up our schedules and frustrates our plans and it reminds us of just how weak we are. It closes doors we wanted to stay open and it causes us grief that doesn’t go away.

     It’s at times like this that we want to ask, “Why.” Why did God allow this to happen? And I want you to know that it’s not wrong to ask why. Even Jesus asked why. As He hung on the cross He said, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me.” So if it was ok for Jesus to ask why, and we know that He always did the right thing, Then it’s ok for us to ask why.

     The problem is we don’t always get the answer we are looking for. So maybe a better question at a time like this is; What now?  What do I do now? And I want to give you three truths from the Bible that you can stand on.

      First of all, I want you to know that God is Good.

     When bad things happen in our life, we are tempted to blame God. But the Bible teaches us not to make that mistake because, God is light and God is love. (Psalm 25:6-7)

Psalm 33 says, “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.” Psalm 34 says, “Taste and see the Lord is Good.” In the New Testament James tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from above. So, when you think of all of the good times you had with Ricky and you think of all of the memories you share, know that those are gifts from God to you. That everything that is good and right in our lives ultimately comes from God.

     God is good-but- if that is true, why is there so much heartbreak in the world? The answer is that evil in the world is very real. That there is an enemy that is against all that is good. The Bible teaches us that the devil comes to kill, steal and destroy. But Jesus said, “I come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” He came to heal the broken hearted and to set the captives free. And one day all who have put their trust in Him, will live in eternity with Him in heaven.

     I want you to know that God is good. But, not only is God good, but, I want you to know that God loves you. (John 3:16)

     There are two things this scripture teaches us about God; It teaches us that God loved and that God gave, and I can’t help but think about how that reminds me of what I have heard about Ricky. Just like God so loved the world, Ricky so loved his family. I have letters from his daughter, his wife and his grandchildren telling me how much he meant to their life and whenever someone is loved so much it’s because of how much love they have shown others.

     He loved his family and wanted what was best for each and everyone of you. Some of the most special times in his life were when he was fishing with his grandchildren. Not only did he love his family, but he also loved animals. He had a great respect for God’s creation training dogs and nursing injured critters of all different kinds back to health. Animals that would not have survived if it wasn’t for Ricky. He loved in a very special way. He also had a great love for Oreo cookies and could sit down and eat a whole box at one time.

     But not only did Ricky love like God, but he gave like God. He gave and devoted his life to his wife Georgia. For 48 years she says, there wasn’t a day that went by he didn’t make her feel loved and beautiful. He was a man’s man, working with his hands to provide for his family. And nobody is perfect. We all make mistakes. But a multitude of our mistakes can be covered up by a heart that loves and a heart that gives. And that’s what Ricky had.

     When you think about Ricky and how much he loved and gave to you. I want you to think about God. Because that’s how much God loves you. He loves you so much, that He gave His son for you. Jesus came and died on a cross so that we could be forgiven. So that we could be saved and spend eternity with God in heaven.

     I want you to know that just like Ricky loved you, that’s how much God loves you. But I also want you to know that God is there for you. In all of our heartbreak. In all of our struggles.

     Jesus said, “Come unto me all who are weary and heavy laden and I’ll give you rest, take upon you My yoke for My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

     Jesus has the power to help us in this world. When we commit our lives to Him. He fills us with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our councilor, our comforter, and our peace. He gives us a peace that surpasses all understanding. No matter what’s going on in the world around us we can turn to Christ and find strength and refuge. The Bible promises us that if we abide in Him, He will never leave us or forsake us.

Conclusion

      I would love to stand up here and tell you that losing your husband, your father, your grandfather, and your friend was going to be easy and you will eventually get over it. That the pain will eventually go away, but you already know that’s not true. But what I want to tell you, more than anything else, is that; God is good, God is love and God is there for you. (Lets pray)

     At this time, I am going to open up our service for those who would like to share a word about Ricky. I think it would be appropriate if we begin with Georgia!

(The family will be meeting under the pavilion at the state park for some Subway and a pot luck if you would like to join them.)