Ricardo (Richie, Richard) Armendariz, 85, of El Paso passed away on May 6, 2019 after a brief illness. Ricardo was born to Pilar (Escontrias) and Ramon Armendariz in El Paso. Dad was a very proud 10th generation "Texan" - (meaning his family is native to this area before Texas became a republic).
He is survived by his children, Delia (Victor Peters), Ricardo, Jr. and Rodolfo, and grandchildren, Allison (Robert Foster) and Richard Austin, daughter-in-law, Blanca, four siblings, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Ricardo’s loving wife of 56 years, Alicia Nuñez, and their daughter, Hilda, predeceased him.
Ricardo acquired his incredible work ethic as a very young boy picking up numerous odd jobs helping to support his widowed mother and younger siblings. He served in the Air Force during the Korean Conflict. His government career as a civilian began with the USPS, and in 1956 he entered Civil Service at the White Sands Missile Range serving at Troop Command, Instrumentation Directorate, Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory, Logistics Headquarters Staff, Army Performance Oriented Reviews and Standards and finished his career at the National Range Directorate. During his service he excelled in many special assignments.
In June 1963, he was appointed as a Logistics Project Officer for the visit of President John F. Kennedy to White Sands Missile Range and again in March 1982 for the landing of the Space Shuttle. His contributions were highly regarded by the Command and he received numerous outstanding performance awards. Ricardo was certified as an Integrated Logistics Specialist and Maintenance Management Specialist by the US Army Logistics Management College; he additionally earned an Associates Degree.
Richard loved traveling to Washington state to watch the Texas Rangers defeat the Seattle Mariners. He took tremendous joy in his grandchildren; served as a wonderful mentor to young people; he enjoyed celebratory outings with his siblings; appreciated his community, especially his supportive and fun neighbors.
Ricardo’s mass is scheduled for 9:30 a.m., Saturday, May 25 at St. Luke’s Catholic Church, with the rosary preceding at 8:45 a.m.
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