Ricardo “Ricky” Carrera, 37, of Ottawa, passed away Friday, August 9, 2024 at Loyola Hospital in Chicago.
A celebration of Ricky’s life will be held on Sunday, August 18, at The Knights of Columbus in Ottawa from 1:00pm until 4:00pm. A service of remembrance will take place at 4:00pm with Rev. Duane Kaufman officiating.
Ricky worked at Petsmart Warehouse since 2008, celebrating his 16th year this year.
Ricky was always the life of the party. If you needed to know about sports or weather, a movie review, or what game to bet on he, was your man. He was also great at cracking a joke to make you laugh, or tapping on your back and sneaking beside you to scare you. He enjoyed playing euchre in the winter and would often wear his long shorts to combat the cold weather.
Ricky’s favorite color was Duke blue for his favorite basketball team. The only teams you could root for around him were Duke, the Tennessee Titans, or the Chicago White Sox. He also rooted for the Chicago Cubs for his Mom. He would often have every stat of his favorite team to prove they were the best. If you liked golf you knew that Ricky Fowler was the best, according to Ricky. He also enjoyed Motocross racing watching his favorite riders and attending Red Bud over the years.
Ricky was an avid movie watcher with his late mother, Wanda, and would share his suggestions on what movies or TV series you should watch. Of course, Titanic was top of the list followed by The Dark Knight. He even knew all the quotes from all of his favorite movies to back it up.
Ricky loved his dog JJ more than anything. JJ was his boy and companion he gifted to his mom for her birthday. He bought JJ many jerseys and outfits and he knew the word “Touchdown” by heart.
Ricky liked to attend many concerts over the years and enjoyed seeing his favorite band Red Hot Chili Peppers perform several times along with many others.
Ricky liked to be there for his many friends and all their get togethers. Though he did not have children of his own, he had many “adopted” kids through this friends and was known as The Fun Uncle, or Uncle Ricky .
He enjoyed his summer boating days with friends on the weekend and splashing in the water with all the little ones who adored him. It was always a challenge to see who could dunk Ricky, usually resulting in more than one getting dunked themselves.
In recent years, Ricky was fortunate to find some of his lost family and he cherished their family gatherings and events. Though he did not have much time with them, he made a huge impact in their lives, and brought joy to all he met.
He relished that he was selected to be a Best Man, twice! He did not disappoint with his two speeches, having a room full of laughter and tears at both. Ricky was one that would make you laugh or smile even on your darkest day. Ricky was kind, generous, and caring.
Ricky was one of a kind, one of the good ones.
Ricky is survived by his brothers, Jerry and Henry Gorisek and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his mother, Wanda Taylor and his father, Lisandro Carrera Carreto.
Ricky was laid to rest in the Tranquility Garden at Oakwood Memorial Park.