Ricardo Ricky Flores

When Ricardo Flores walked into the room, those in his company felt a palpable energy. This was just one of many qualities Ricky had and how he impacted those around him. He was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if he wanted to share in all of their experiences, revel in their lives, and celebrate their discoveries. Ricky was tireless and seemed to have a boundless enthusiasm that served him well throughout his life.

Growing up for Ricky was like one big burst of spontaneity personified. He would join in with friends and family in just about anything. This made his life quite interesting and led to what would be a wide variety of memories. Ricky was born on June 23, 1987. He first greeted the world in Los Angeles, California at Los Angeles General Hospital. His parents were Ramon and Gloria Flores. He grew up in Beaumont, California. Ricky had a great sense of humor and was a natural entertainer, able to keep the people around him amused with stories and tales. While some who knew Ricky might have described him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that he was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities.

Ricky was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, he was typically the person who tried to bring resolution and harmony. This quality, along with his quick wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of people were traits that drew the admiration of others and served Ricky well in his adult life. He was raised with four siblings. Ricky had two older brothers, Ramon and Arturo, an older sister, Lucia, and a younger brother, Ruben. He was also close to other family members.

Even as a young boy, Ricky was able to empathize and identify with many different kinds of people. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. He was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. He enjoyed playing sports as a youngster, especially outside sports with neighbor kids. Some of his favorite hobbies were video games and playing with friends. As a child, he developed a fondness for pets, especially the family dog, Chola, a Wiener dog, they had for 13 years.

During his high school years, Ricky responded enthusiastically to any new project and was normally in search of one adventure after another. He graduated from Beaumont High School in 2005. He was a very good student, and generally did well in his courses. Ricky absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems using his imagination to master his assignments. For him, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Ricky a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything. Ricky's favorite class in High School was Physical Education. He was a member of Interact, he was the Sergeant of Arms and he participated in Beaumont High School Football, his jersey number was "76".

For Ricky, his life was just about as busy outside of high school as it was inside. With a talent for making friends easily, Ricky was very sociable and could blend without effort into any number of different social groups. Assertive and outgoing, he was easy to know and often demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends.

He learned about taking responsibility during this time of his life.

Ricky was very adaptable, a quality that helped him make the transition from high school to college with little difficulty. He did well in college, as a result of his love of learning and the ability to tackle new theories and concepts. Ricky attended Mt. San Jacinto College and received his Associates Degree in 2009. This love of learning and desire to take on new challenges helped him as he waded his way through all of his classes. He really enjoyed his American Sign Language and Criminal Justice classes.

One of the best things about being in college is that it allowed Ricky the opportunity to explore and learn beyond the classroom walls.

During college he had no trouble making new friends and acquaintances. He was compassionate, accommodating, and quick to move into action.

Ricky was uplifted by new ideas. New possibilities always seemed to excite him. These were traits which made him an exceptional worker. Ricky started as a Weed Eater at the Beaumont-Cherry Valley Water District and as a result of being a good worker and working hard he was hired on as a full-time employee.

Though Ricky didn’t go out of his way to seek out personal accolades, they seemed to just naturally come to him.

Like in other aspects of his life, Ricky was able to make friends easily in the workplace. Some of these friends included Michael and Jeff Fox, Miguel Hernandez, Ernesto Perez, Jeffrey Esmos and all of his coworkers at the Beaumont-Cherry Valley Water District.

He was enterprising, inventive, and often energized when working against deadlines. His colleagues saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

Ricky loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, and he pursued numerous hobbies. Some of his favorite hobbies were softball, baseball, snowboarding, going to concerts, rugby, going to eat sushi with his friends and family. Ricky really enjoyed video games and his favorites were "Call of Duty Black Ops", "God of War" and he had just got "Duke Nukem". He had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, Ricky's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

He enjoyed many things throughout his life.

Ricky derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature, and ability to help all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. He also enjoyed watching his favorite teams and events whenever he got the opportunity. Ricky loved Dodger's Baseball and Dallas Cowboy Football Games.

Ricky was a man who was devoted to his faith. Ricky was baptized and completed his confirmation. He went to church every Sunday with his nieces and nephews. He was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and he used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for his beliefs.

Ricky Flores left us on June 28, 2011. He passed away while doing his job for the Beaumont-Cherry Valley Water District in Beaumont, California. He was 24 years old. He is survived by his parents Ramon and Gloria Flores; brothers, Ramon, Arturo and Ruben Flores; sister, Lucia Flores; sisters-in-law, Vanessa and Jocelyn Flores; nieces and nephews, Marisa, Miguel, Isaac, Elias, Isidro and Roselyn Flores; and his baby, his dog, Milo. Services were handled by Weaver Mortuary & Crematory, Beaumont, California. Ricky was laid to rest at Desert Lawn Memorial Park, Calimesa, California.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Ricky. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative, and witty. For others, he was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, many others looked to him for inspiration, leadership, wisdom, and even courage. Ricardo Flores was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with those he loved. Ricky was very loving, caring and very generous to everyone he met. He was a very big hearted person who loved his family very much. He will be very missed.