Richard Eric Wanner

Rick was born July 28, 1953, in Tokyo, Japan, to William and Erma Wanner. His father’s military career kept the family on the move in Rick’s early life. By his teenage years, the family settled in Colorado Springs and Rick graduated in 1971 from Wasson High School, where he competed in gymnastics.

Three years and many adventures later, Rick married his first wife and enlisted in the United States Air Force. During six years of service to his country, Rick welcomed the birth of his son, Ryan. The electronics skills and managerial experience Rick gained during his military service helped land him a job with Martin Marietta in Colorado after his honorable discharge.

Within a few years, Rick met Lori Gaughen, who was working as a database administrator at Martin Marietta. The couple married in 1984 and a year later welcomed the birth of their son, James. Two years later, they were overjoyed at the birth of their only daughter, Gennavieve.

Rick, Lori, Jim and Genna relocated to Yardley, Pa., in 1993. Their time on the East Coast saw them explore the many historical sites from U.S. history, including a vacation in Washington, D.C. In 1994, Rick and his wife celebrated 10 years of marriage with a trip to New York City.

In 1995, Rick, Lori and the children were on the move again, returning to Colorado to settle in metropolitan Denver. The next few years were a whirlwind as Rick and Lori traveled extensively in support of Genna’s cheerleading and Jim’s sports teams, Rick often serving as coach for the latter.

In 2001, Rick accepted a new position and the Wanners headed south, landing in Chandler, Ariz. Though the family wasn’t fond of the summer heat during their two years in the Grand Canyon state, they considered their Chandler home the favorite among their many addresses, and often wished they could have taken it with them when Rick rejoined Lockheed Martin and the family settled in the Denver area for good.

Over the next several years, Rick experienced many wonderful life moments with Lori by his side. He supported his three children and celebrated with them as they each earned college degrees. Rick was honored to serve as best man when his oldest son, Ryan, married Jennifer in a beautiful ceremony in 2005. Rick and Lori were thrilled at the birth of granddaughters Julia in 2006 and Victoria in 2010. Rick and his beloved bride celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in 2009. He notched many great career successes and earned the appreciation of coworkers at Lockheed. He was particularly proud of his involvement with the Stardust project, a mission designed to collect dust samples from a passing by comet, as well as samples of cosmic dust, and return these to earth for scientific analysis.

Rick was devastated in early 2011 when his loving wife Lori passed away. His Parkinson’s disease diagnosis came shortly thereafter, and Rick retired a little earlier than planned.

During his retirement, Rick traveled with Jim and Genna, including trips to Costa Rica, and destinations in the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas. Rick, a music lover and guitar player, attended many concerts with Ryan, especially when they were playing the blues. He was known to hop on his Harley-Davidson or into his silver Corvette and head north to spend time with his granddaughters. He took to the high seas on cruises with his older brother, Terry, and found out cruise life suited him well. His love of golf and league membership gave him the opportunity to meet new people and play a round with lifelong friends on a regular basis.

His proudest moment in his retirement years came when Rick walked his daughter down the aisle as Genna married Cameron in 2019.

Rick loved his family above all else. He shall be dearly missed, especially by his children, Ryan (and his wife Jennifer), Jim, and Genna (and her husband Cam); his granddaughters, Julia and Victoria; and his siblings Terry and Leslie.

Though his disease took him too soon, Rick left a lasting impression on everyone whose life he touched, and we will keep him in our hearts forever.