THOMAS RICHARD KILPATRICK (RICKY)
(1956 - 1998)

Rest in peace dear cousin, you brought much joy to my brothers life, I can see that in Lynn's words he writes about you

Sorry I never got to meet you, Ricky. You were
a joy to Lynn & others. Rest in Peace.

I REMEMBER WHEN WE LIVED IN CALUMET CITY ILL, JUST OUTSIDE OF CHICAGO, EVERY CHRISTMAS EVE RICKY,ME,AND MY AUNT AND UNCLE WOULD ALL JUMP IN THE CADILAC JUST AS IT WAS GETTING DARK AND GO FOR ALITTLE CRUISE IN THE WELL KEPT WINDING SIDE STREETS OF OUR NEIBORHOOD AND LOOK AT ALL THE BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS ON PEOPLES HOUSES IN OUR AREA, AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR, WE'D GO ON HOME HAVE ALITTLE SNACK AND GO TO BED, BUT RICKY AND ME COULD NEVER GO RIGHT TO SLEEP ON CHRISTMAS EVE,WE'D LAY AWAKE WAITING AND HOPING TO CATCH MY AUNT AND UNCLE PUTTING PRESENTS UNDER THE TREE BUT, WE ALWAYS ENDED UP FALLING ASLEEP..(HERES A LITTLE STORY ILL NEVER FORGET).NOW.....OUR HOUSE HAD 4 YARDS, 1 FRONT YARD, 1 SIDE YARD 1 BACKYARD, AND 1 BIG BACKYARD BEHIND OUR BACKYARD, THIS IS THE YARD WE PLAYED IN, PLAYED BASEBALL, FOOTBALL,GAMES ETC,WE LIVED IN A SEMI COUNTRY AREA, AND RIGHT NEXT DOOR THERE WAS A GUY( A FARMER I GUESS)THAT GREW SHRUBS AND VARIOUS LANDSCAPE PLANTS, IT WAS ALL FENCED IN (WHITE PICKET FENCE, ABOUT 2 OR 3 ACRES), AND HE WAS A MEAN OLD GUY, SOMETIMES OUR BASEBALLS OR FOOTBALLS WOULD ACCIDENTLY GO OVER THE FENCE, AND WE'D HAVE TO HURRY UP AND GET IT BEFORE HE SEEN IT, OR, US HOPPING THE FENCE TO GET IT, IF HE SEEN US HE'D CUSS US OUT, OR GO TELL MY AUNT AND UNCLE, HE WAS VERY RUDE ABOUT IT TOO.WE WERE ABOUT 11 OR 12 YEARS OLD AND ONE SUMMER DAY RICKY AND ME WERE PLAYING CATCH, YOU KNOW, TOSSING THE BASEBALL BACK AND FORTH, WELL, I OVER THREW THE BALL AND IT WENT IN HIS YARD, SO WHO EVER THROWS IT OVER THE FENCE WAS SUPPOSE TO GO GET IT, WELL, I HAD JUMPED THAT FENCE DOZENS OF TIMES, SO, I FIGURED I'D JUST HOP OVER AND HOP BACK OVER REAL QUICK, SO, I TOLD RICKY TO WATCH OUT FOR THE FARMER WHILE I GOT THE BALL I CLIMBED UP ON IT AND KINDA JUMPED STRAGHT DOWN,AND AS I CAME DOWN ON THE OTHER SIDE, I SEEN THAT MY FEET DIDNT TOUCH THE GROUND, I REALIZED AT THAT MOMENT THAT I HAD GOT HOOKED BY THE SEAT OF MY PANTS ON THE FENCE, AND I WAS JUST DANGLING THERE, I STARTED YELLING AT RICKY TO HELP ME GET DOWN, AND I LOOKED BACK TO SEE RICKY ROLLING AROUND ON THE GROUND LAUGHING HIS BUTT OFF,I HAD RIPPED A BIG HOLE IN THE BACK OF MY PANTS AND UNDERWARE, AND MY WHOLE BUTT WAS HANGING OUT. I WAS YELLING AND SCREAMING, AND STRUGGLING TO UN HOOK MYSELF BEFORE THE FARMER SEEN ME,THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE AROUND, RICKY COULD NOT STOP LAUGHING, AS HE TOO TRIED TO HELP ME DOWN(I WAS ONLY ABOUT A FOOT OFF THE GROUND) FINALY MY PANTS RIPPED THE REST OF THE WAY OFF,AND I FELL TO THE GROUND, GOT UP HOPPED BACK OVER THE FENCE, AND RAN TO THE HOUSE CRYING AND YELLING AND TRYING TO HOLD WHAT WAS LEFT OF MY PANTS TOGETHER TRYING TO COVER MY BUTT ALONG THE WAY, WHEN I GOT TO THE HOUSE, I TOLD MARIE(MY AUNT) WHAT HAPPENED, AND SHE TRIED AS HARD AS SHE COULD TO KEEP FROM LAUGHING, SHE TOO FEEL OUT LAUGHING, SHE PUT SOME BANDAIDS AND ANTICEPTIC ON MY BUTT(SCRATCHES), AND TRIED TO SCOLD ME FOR JUMPING THE FENCE, BUT SHE COULDNT KEEP IT TOGETHER ,SHE TOLD MY UNCLE ABOUT IT WHEN HE GOT HOME FROM WORK, AND AS HARD AS HE TRIED TO LECTURE ME ABOUT THE FENCE TOO , HE COULD NOT HOLD IT TOGETHER EITHER.I THINK RICKY LAUGHED FOR THREE DAYS ABOUT THAT INCIDENT, I DID TOO AFTER AWHILE.AND THATS ONE DAY ILL NEVER FORGET.

This is the memorial I set up for THOMAS R KILPATRICK. To sign the guest book, click on the "Sign Guest Book" button below.