RICKIE JAY LASSITER
Sep 18, 1947 – Sep 7, 2026
Ric passed away at home on the land that he loved in Boncarbo. A Memorial Service will be held on September 18, 2026, at 11:00 AM at the Mullare-Murphy Funeral Home Chapel, a chapel that he built. A reception will follow from Noon to 2:00 PM at his favorite restaurant, the El Rancho, where his usual was beef enchiladas with red and a sopapilla. Some of his art will be on display at the reception. Donations can be made the day of the Memorial at the El Rancho.
Ric was born September 18, 1947, to Wanda Joyce and William Lassiter. He graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in Commercial Art. He took a year off from school to support his family after his father died. He moved to Colorado and worked in a factory where he organized a workers’ strike against unsafe working conditions. The workers won. He wanted to buy land and searched for many days until he found 40 acres in BonCarbo in 1974. Two years later he met Sue, the love of his life. He worked on countless projects in Huerfano and Las Animas Counties, and in Trinidad for over 50 years. He was really an artist who happened to be a builder, infusing beauty and livability into every project he worked on. He collaborated with his customers and helped them create spaces that are uniquely theirs. A Ric Lassiter house is filled with light and built with skill and thoughtfulness. He was a leader who felt respect for the men who helped him build houses. They worked together. He never set himself apart as a boss, and respected everyone.
He was a teacher and shared his skills with the men who worked beside him. He believed that his work was important. He believed that people who work with their hands are important and worthy of respect, including clerks at WalMart, the guys driving the cement trucks and those who loaded his truck with lumber at BLDRS. He believed that our homes are sacred places. He always did his best.
He was a lifelong learner with an extensive library of books. He had an amazing sense of humor and when he laughed, so did we. If you ever met or talked to Ric, or know him well, know that he told your story to his family. His daughters grew up wondering which of his stories were actually true. They will miss him terribly.
Ric is survived by his wife Sue and beloved daughters Windi (Lassiter) Padia and Robin Lassiter, brother Kris Lassiter, sister-in-law Debbie Lassiter and Cousin Geri Lassiter, and niece Carrie and nephew Adam. He will be grieved and missed by his sons-in-law Joe Padia and Rick Cobb, and his grandchildren Oscar and Natalie Padia, and his great-niece Angelina Padia, who calls him Grandpa Ric. His family of in-laws adored him and were his family too. Sister-in-law Madeline Brock and husband Bill, brother-in-law FA Waters and his wife Wendy, and sister-in-law Martha will miss him so much, including all his nieces and nephews (Stephen, Melissa, Daniel, Nathan, Marian, and Andrew), and cousins John Forbis and Grant and Jenna Geiger.
Sue, Robin and Windi send their heartfelt thanks out to the community of friends and are gobsmacked by the overwhelming outpouring of love and support.
In lieu of flowers, visit a local Trinidad restaurant and tip your waitstaff big, or donate to a charity that does good in the world. His generosity was his way of showing gratitude for his wonderful life.
“When you meet someone, you are meeting God in one of his disguises. Make that person feel it. Live life with a big spirit. Life will not let you down.” – Ric Lassiter, in a letter to his daughter, 1997.
Thomas Murphy
Mullare-Murphy Funeral Home
335 East Main Street, Trinidad, Colorado
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