Rick Lee Ainsworth

Take me up where the air is thin

Where the Rockies reach eternity’s rim

Where eagles soar on mountain wind

Take me up where the air is thin.

Rick Ainsworth 2022

Rick Lee Ainsworth was born September 22, 1944 in Denver, CO to Merrill Ainsworth and Nancyetta Davis as the eldest child and first grandchild of a big Irish family. He left this mortal world on August 14, 2025 in the arms of his loving wife Therese after a short illness.

Growing up in Denver and Longmont, CO, Rick had three dreams; to join the US Navy, move to California, and marry the woman of his dreams. He felt it a great success that he achieved all three. He was a signalman in the US Navy, sailing the US Trust Territory islands in the South Pacific, and settled in California after his discharge to start a successful mortgage career. He attended night school while working full time, at Citrus College and LaVerne University, and believed that education and reading were the keys to a successful and fulfilling life. His business acumen, engaging personality and scrupulous integrity inspired many. He led the Orange County CA chapter of the California Association of Mortgage Brokers for years, endorsing professional conduct and encouraging members to treat their clients with the same level of honesty and ethical behavior he practiced. He also had a second career after moving to Nevada in retirement; he had always wanted to be a writer. Rick was a natural storyteller, witty, brilliant and always engaging. His goal in writing was to tell good stories and entertain. His first published novel, Thunder and Storm: The Haverfield Incident, won an historical fiction award and he kept writing, at his computer at 5 am every day, finishing 26 novels.

Rick’s life was defined by loyalty, steadfastness, deep character, and a boundless capacity for love. Before all he loved his cherished wife Therese, who loved him with equal and fierce devotion. He loved his children, his family and his proud Irish heritage. He loved football and never missed a Notre Dame football game. An annual football weekend with family in South Bend, IN was a joyous tradition for decades. He loved history, the sea, and the mountains. He loved fishing and photography, and made instant friends wherever he went, with a prodigious memory and genuine interest in others’ lives. He loved dogs and adopted Therese’s fascination with dachshunds, distributing hugs and treats liberally. Rick loved to laugh and had a seemingly endless supply of stories and jokes. He loved children and all responded to his warmth and gentleness. Although he claimed only “street smarts” from the north Denver of his youth, he had a keen intellect and enjoyed long, detailed discussions about life and virtually any topic at hand. His beautiful smile and bright blue eyes, broad shoulders and that great head of hair live on in the memories of all who were privileged to know him.

Rick is survived by his beloved wife of 46 years, Therese Van Ryn Ainsworth, by his daughters Margaret Bristol of Georgia and Renee Read of Washington, and preceded in death by his son Rick Frank Robert Ainsworth, his parents, and his much loved grandparents Robert and Irene Davis of Denver. He is also survived by his siblings Terri Borchert, Nancy Martin and Randy Ainsworth, as well as Louis Mangone, twins Chris DeLeon and Candi Gifford, and Tina Dietz. He and Therese embraced many cousins, nieces, nephews, great nephews and nieces, and five grandchildren.

Rick was empathetic and generous, and on the rare occasion he offered any guidance it was personal and heartfelt. When his wife’s assistant of many years was in distress, a young woman he had met only once, these are the words he wrote to her. He never shared them with anyone else, even Therese, but Toya Young gave her permission to share and his voice is here, caring and supportive:

You are precious, Baby Girl.

Your family depends on you to be strong and have answers because you are precious to them.

People at your work love you and depend on you because you are capable and devoted and dependable. You are a precious commodity to them.

Your friends worry about you and love you because you are always there for everyone else when they need you. Because you are precious.

I worry about you, Baby Girl, because I know how hard you work and how dedicated you are. But, hear this: If you go down, everyone goes down with you, because you are their strength, you are their hope and you are their love.

You are a special baby girl. Please take care of yourself as well as you take care of everyone else.

You are precious to me.

Love, Papa Rick

Rick and Therese were inseparable, working together in business and at home building a life of quiet content, mutual respect, complete fidelity and undying support, happy to enjoy their home, books, movies and their little dachshunds, Rocky and Luca, the latest in 40 years’ worth of cherished pups. His wife is devastated without her “split-apart” and will keep his memory alive with love, dedication and commitment to honor Rick and his life, his humor and wit, his books, and the infinite love he showed her throughout their time together.