After four years of battling ALS, Richard “Rick” C. Stephens died at his home in Longview, Texas on Tuesday, October 26, 2021. Rick was born on March 2, 1956, in Denton County, Texas and adopted in Nacogdoches, Texas by Hugh C. and Faye R. Stephens. After graduating from Nacogdoches High School, Rick attended Stephen F. Austin State University. Before marriage, Rick worked on his family’s farm and also spent time as a small circuit bull rider. On May 12, 1978, Rick married Kathy Upchurch, his high school sweetheart, and they welcomed their daughter, Heather in 1980. In 1984 the family moved to Longview, Texas where they later welcomed their son, Ryan in 1988. During these years Rick primarily worked as a manager at Radio Shack, and was a purchasing agent with WESCO, as well as other retail establishments. Rick’s main focus was always his family. He became a stay-at-home dad, and later also watched his oldest granddaughter, Jocelyn. Rick’s favorite hobby, and the one he was best known for, was photography. He captured many beautiful landscapes, as well as countless family photos. He even worked as a photographer outside of the family at weddings and other events. While he may have been physically hampered by his disabilities, he was always involved in all of his children’s, grandchildren’s, nieces’ and nephews’ events, as well as his many extra “adopted” children and grandchildren. Rick and Kathy have been active members of Mobberly Baptist Church and Macedonia Baptist Church for many years. One thing many people may not know, is that Rick was very talented with technology, and he eventually assisted Kathy with her doctoral dissertation. Rick was even part of the team handling computer upgrades for the year 2000- “Y2K” issues. In a family of Dallas Cowboys fans, Rick was a staunch “Cheesehead,” always supporting his Green Bay Packers. During his final years, Rick loved to travel the country with his beloved wife, enjoying time together and seeing the sites. Rick will be dearly missed by his friends and family, including his wife, Kathy; daughter and son-in-law Heather and Mark Howell; son and daughter-in-law Ryan and Amanda Stephens; grandchildren Jocelyn, Dylan, Tyson, and Ashlyn Howell, Bellamie Stephens and Bellamie’s sister due in March of next year; his birth mother, Bess Lindsey; siblings and their spouses Denise and Mark Satsky, Donna and Stafford Rau, and John and Judy Lindsey; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made to the LeTourneau University Teacher Education Scholarship Fund. For more information, contact Dr. Terry Zeitlow at terryzeitlow@letu.edu
Donations to the ALS Association Texas Chapter at www.alstexas.org are also appreciated.
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