Susan Ulrich Rick

Susan Ulrich Rick was born in Portland, Oregon on February 17, 1932 to Warren John and Marjorie Swift Ulrich. She was the second of four siblings and the first daughter. Her family came to own homes in the city of Portland, a mountain cabin in Rhododendron, Oregon; and a house on the beach in Cannon Beach, Oregon. She grew up enjoying the beautiful mountains and coast of Oregon where she could hike, pick berries and horseback ride. Susan attended Lincoln High School and Scripps College. In 1979, she graduated with honors from the University of San Diego with a degree in History.

Susan met her husband, William B. Rick, in the winter of 1952 through friends of her parents when he was on leave in Portland. They were married that summer and began their married life in Warner Robbins, Georgia. They eventually settled in Bill’s hometown of San Diego and raised four children, Glenn, Melissa, John and Nancy. Through the years, Susan was active in building up and supporting her community. She was a member of the Children’s Hospital Auxiliary, Junior League, Women’s Advisory Cabinet - Girl Scouts, the USD Advisory Committee, the Board of The Old Globe Theatre, the Board of Trustees of California Western School of Law, the President of the Producers Club for KPBS and was honored as a Woman of Dedication by the Salvation Army. In addition, she performed in numerous charitable shows in San Diego, singing and dancing to raise money for various causes and organizations, such as the Rolf Benirschke Celebrity Roast and Revue presented by the San Diego Chapter of The National Foundation for Ileitis and Colitis, which she also chaired; and San Diego’s Charity Ball, as well as countless others.

Susan and Bill led a full and exciting life. Together they traveled the world, playing golf and scuba diving in most of the favored diving destinations around the globe. Some of their favorites were True, Ponape, Palau, Cabo San Lucas, Grand Cayman, the Great Barrier Reef and the Maldives islands. They visited countries in Europe and Asia as well. With all that wonderful travel, she always maintained that her annual vacations in Cannon Beach, Oregon were her best trips.

Susan created a home full of love and acceptance. She thought nothing of adding one or two (or more) children or teenagers to her foursome. Some, she gave a home to, many she included in family vacations, holidays and trips. She loved her garden and created a beautiful, welcoming backyard where you could often find her gardening and picking flowers to put all over her home. Every holiday was an event when she would decorate the house from top to bottom, inside and out. The dining room table would be laid with holiday colors and settings, and she was a magnet for gathering the entire extended family for big, lively family celebrations. Her attitude toward, not only her family and closest friends, but also her community and people and the world in general, was one of graciousness, warmth, hospitality and generosity. Where there was a need, her first reaction was to see if she could help. She will be greatly, terribly missed, but we have been so blessed to have her for a time.

Susan was preceded in death by her husband, Bill, and her younger sister, Mimi, and younger brother, John. She is survived by her brother, Warren Ulrich; her sons Glenn and John, (their wives Diane and

Julie); her daughters Melissa Cochran and Nancy Jones, (their husbands John and Art); grandsons David Cochran, James Rick, Trevor and Dylan Jones; granddaughters Sara Rick, Deborah Cochran-Dehkhoda, Jessica Rick Klitzke, Rachel Cochran, Jennifer Rick Toma, Jordan Rick Walker, their spouses and children, and several nieces and nephews.