Siegfried Rick

Siegfried was born on July 26, 1931, in Ulkau, Danzig. He moved to Omaha, NE, with his parents and siblings. He later joined the U.S. Army and was stationed in Aschaffenburg, Germany, where he met the love of his life, Gertrud. She returned to the United States with him, and they married in 1958, shortly after welcoming two children, Uve and Nadja.

Siegfried had a deep love for music and enjoyed playing the harmonica his whole life, and then singing in the glee club at his retirement community in Santee. In their younger years, he and Gertrud loved dancing and frequently attended events at the German-American Society. He found great joy in the outdoors, spending time in his garden and working on his landscape. Having grown up on a farm, he carried that passion into adulthood, keeping bees and tending to his sheep.

Siegfried had a wonderful sense of humor and loved making everyone around him laugh. His positive disposition and quick wit brought joy into the lives of everyone he encountered. He was always willing to lend a hand and was known for his generosity in helping family, friends, and neighbors. He also had a lifelong love of climbing trees—one of his earliest memories was falling from a tree, crying to his mother, and being told he shouldn’t have been climbing in the first place—only to go right back up. Even into his 90s, he could still be found climbing trees.

Above all, Siegfried cherished time spent with his family and friends. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Gertrud, his daughter Nadja, his parents Martha and Robert, and his siblings Erhard, Edith, Erich, Reinhold, and Eva. He is survived by his son Uve Rick (wife, Shirley) of Santee, CA, along with four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

We will gather to celebrate Siegfried’s life on Thursday, February 27th. He spent his 93 years bringing passion, hard work, humor, and kindness into the world. Funeral services will be held at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, with visitation beginning at 9:30 AM, followed by the funeral at 10:30 AM. A luncheon will be held at the church, and burial will take place afterward at Westlawn-Hillcrest Cemetery.”