Rick Mascorro

To Rick Mascorro, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, he was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around him, he seemed to be eternally happy, and he willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life he touched. For Rick, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, he could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Rick really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.

Rick was born on May 18, 1957 at home near the University of Illinois Chicago near the southside of Chicago, Illinois. His parents, Pedro and Guadalupe Mascorro, raised Rick in that house. Even as a child, Rick had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around him. He was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. He couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. He was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, he succeeded in entertaining his entire family.

Always a good playmate, Rick was easy going and fun loving. He managed to lighten the mood wherever he was, even during family squabbles. He seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, Rick managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. Rick was raised with three siblings. He had two older brothers, Nef and Eddie and one older sister, Sally.

All of Rick's playful good humor carried over into his childhood. He was possessed with an outgoing personality, a lively imagination and a mellowed enthusiasm for life that allowed him to be constantly on the go. As a result, Rick experienced a rather active childhood, and this suited him very well. He took part in football, baseball and softball.

Ask anyone who knew him from school and they would tell you that Rick was a class “cut-up.” He didn’t do it to be unkind or to garner all the attention. Rather, Rick simply enjoyed others’ laughter and the sounds of his friends and acquaintances having a good time. It could be said that for Rick, grades may not have been the most important thing to him, but he really did enjoy his school experience. Since experience was Rick's best teacher. He enjoyed hands-on learning and applying the “practical” approach to knowledge, rather than getting caught up in “theory.” Rick originally attended Mt. Carmel High School and graduated from St. Ignatius High School in 1975. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers.

Rick reveled in his college years, where his imagination could run free. He was viewed by many of his classmates as being a creative, artistic person. Rick was usually found at the center of things, whether it was during class or in extracurricular activities. He was a jovial person who loved to share his passion for fun with others. But for Rick, life was not a case of all play and no work. Rick relished the task of putting his imagination to work in class. He was able to discover new and different ways of answering problems and creating unusual and different solutions. He earned his Criminal Justice degree from University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). His favorite courses were Spanish and those relating to his Criminal Justice degree.

Rick never actually encountered a stranger in his dealings with people. He was drawn to individuals and crowds, using his gregarious, adaptable and outgoing personality to captivate his audience. This quality allowed Rick to continually develop new relationships, ever widening his circle of friends. Rick delighted in his role among all his acquaintances, because he viewed them all as potential spectators for his performance. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song or just plain fooling around, Rick was always right at home putting on a show among his friends. Rick utilized his interest in others as a great way to connect with them. While growing up, some of his best friends were Bobby and Norbert. Later in life, he became friends with Joe Manno and Pauly. Rick loved sharing life and having his home filled with people he knew.

Perhaps the reason Rick related so well to children was the fact that he never really completely grew up himself. The ability to be just a “kid at heart” helped him in raising his own children. Rick was blessed with threee children, two daughters, Ana-Alicia and Andrea and one son, Rick. He had the ability to focus his attention on the present moment. If he was spending time with the kids, that’s where all of his attention was directed. Rick's compassionate side prevented him from being a strict disciplinarian, and he could turn just about any situation into a playful, learning experience. He could spend hours entertaining them with fun and creative play. In fact, Rick had a knack for turning some of those nasty old chores into games.

At work, as in life, Rick was a real “people person.” He had a very successful way of dealing effectively with others, and his enthusiasm and energy was often contagious. Rick liked to see himself as something of a virtuoso. When dealing with various projects and problems, Rick was an adaptable realist, using his common sense and trusting his experiences and impulses to uncover the correct answer. Rick's talent for being a down to earth thinker, allowed many around him to see Rick as an excellent problem solver. As a young adult, Rick worked for General Motors for 5 years. In the last 2 years of his time with General Motors, and knowing that his plant was going to close, Rick took a position with the U.S. Postal Service. He worked two full time jobs for those two years. He then went on to have a 23 year carreer as a Postal Carrier with the Postal Service.

Rick enjoyed his leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. An “arts and crafts” type, Rick liked creating and making things. His favorite pursuits were watching football, working out, shopping at flea markets, and spending time with friends & family. He also loved caring for and walking his dog, Duke. Rick was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

Rick felt excited and challenged by sports. Even if he wasn’t the best, Rick loved to participate and thoroughly enjoyed the competition and the pleasure of being around other people. Rick relished the opportunities where he could make an impact, and he would often push himself to play above his abilities. A quick thinker who understood the basics, Rick never seemed to get caught off guard, even when confronted with unexpected conflict. In high school, Rick played football. Rick was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were his beloved Chicago Bears and the Cubs.

Living life in the fast lane suited Rick just fine. It is no surprise that he loved to travel and to visit new and different places. He was naturally curious about other parts of the world and loved the real life adventure that came from visiting them. He was impulsive and willing to try anything once. Favorite vacations included Washington DC, Las Vegas, California, the Grand Canyon, Florida, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.

Rick was a lover of animals and cherished his pets, enjoying them almost as much as he enjoyed being around other people. His family was rounded out by his dog, Pepe LaPew, a 1/2 Cocker Spaniel & 1/2 Pekingese. Then more recently, Rick's favorite was Duke, a Daschund dog. They were best friends for 11 years.

He is survived by his children Ricky, Andrea and Ana-Alicia; his brothers Nef and Eddie and his sister Sally; and his father Pedro. Visitation Thursday, February 23, 2012 from 3:00 - 9:00 pm at Blake-Lamb Funeral Home, 5015 Lincoln Avenue, Lisle, IL (on Rt. 53, 1/2 mile south of Ogden Ave. / Rt. 34) with funeral service at 8:00 pm. Following the servcies Rick was cremated according to his wish.

Rick brought joy to all of those around him. He never had a mean bone in his body. He loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. He loved to share his energy, wit, and his zest for all of his activities with his friends and family. Rick Mascorro lived life to its fullest and made everyone around him happier just for knowing him. He will be remembered with a smile.