Dr. Ricci Sanchez

Dr. Ricci Sanchez, 63, born in Austin, Texas on November 9, 1962, to the late Bill and Patsy Green, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by her family, on August 29, 2026. Ricci is survived by her husband of 41 years, Andy Sanchez, daughter Brittany Sanchez and her wife Haley, son Andrew (Bulldog) Sanchez and his wife Stephanie, Ricci's granddaughter Emma, and Ricci’s sister, Tracy Green. Ricci was also deeply loved and admired by many relatives and friends.

At the age of nine, Ricci and her family moved to Palestine, Texas where she shined at Palestine High School. She was co-captain of the drill team and salutatorian of her high school class of 1980.

After high school, Ricci graduated magna cum laude from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas in 1984, earning a BBA degree in Finance and Computer Science.

Following graduation, a fateful night in late September of 1984 was when Ricci and Andy met while out dancing with friends in Houston. From that moment on, they knew they were meant to dance through life together. Six months later, they were honeymooning in the Bahamas.

Ricci always made it a priority to support her family’s interests. Being with Andy and being a mom were highlights of Ricci’s life. Some of her favorite memories include grooving out to Andy’s performances on stage as a musician, and she was always supporting and cheering for both of her children in all of their endeavors.

She enjoyed watching Brittany as she won national championships in gymnastics, skydiving, and golf. Ricci was also the ultimate baseball mom, fan and scorekeeper for Bulldog while he played Little League, high school and collegiate baseball. These family times with Andy and their children along with family holidays brought Ricci the most joy in life.

While excelling in her work, being married and being a mom, she continued her education and obtained her MBA, summa cum laude, from Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio, Texas and her Ph.D. from the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston.

Her research and dissertation work on patient-centered care made it clear that she was a lifelong learner who invested wholeheartedly in improving the quality of life for her family, friends, colleagues, patients, and every person she encountered.

She dedicated over two decades of her career to Harris Health in Houston, Texas, serving in various executive roles, including Vice President of Operations and Associate Administrator for Ambulatory Care Services. She managed extensive clinical operations encompassing community health centers, school-based clinics, homeless shelter clinics, and specialty clinic towers. After leaving Harris Health, she became Vice President at Yuma Regional Medical Center, in Yuma, Arizona. Following her time in Arizona she finished her healthcare career as the Chief Operating Officer of St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri.

Beyond her demanding professional roles, Ricci committed herself to community leadership. She provided her expertise to boards such as Amberly’s Place Family Advocacy/Victim’s Center, Gateway to Care Collaborative, Partners for Community Health and Epiphany Community Health Outreach Services.

Throughout her 25-year career in healthcare, she developed many lifelong relationships and made positive impacts and impressions on thousands of colleagues and employees while overseeing the care of millions of patients. Ricci championed the spectrum of healthcare – from operational management to implementation during her career in public service and her personal advocacy for Alzheimer’s disease.

During the height of her amazing career, Ricci was diagnosed with Younger Onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2019. This form of Alzheimer’s occurs when symptoms develop before the age of 65. Younger Onset Alzheimer’s is exceedingly rare, accounting for only 5% of all Alzheimer's cases. She dedicated the final years of her life to advocacy work by raising awareness and driving progress on research for Alzheimer’s Disease.


Ricci served in prestigious roles such as a National Early Stage Advisory Group Member for the Alzheimer's Association and as the Houston & Southeast Texas Chapter's Early Stage Ambassador. She extended her impact academically and operationally through roles on the National Alzheimer's Buddies Advisory Board, the Quinnipiac University Steering Council Committee for an NIH/NIA study, and the development team for the Longitudinal Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease Study (LEADS). Furthermore, she shared her vital insights as the keynote speaker for the 2020 and 2021 Houston Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Dr. Sanchez was featured as a panelist at prominent research symposia, and published work regarding person-centered research ethics in the Journal of Aging Studies.

In 2021, Ricci and Andy founded the Dr. Ricci Sanchez Scholarship Award, providing financial assistance to dozens of students. Her legacy will continue through this endowment. For her family, friends, colleagues, mentees, Scholarship Award recipients and many others, she leaves a positive and profound legacy. Dr. Ricci Sanchez had a legendary presence. She commanded a high standard of excellence of those around her but did so in a genuine and loving way. She spent her final days at home with her family whom she loved fiercely.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Team Ricci, the official Alzheimer's Association fundraising campaign that honors her. Team Ricci link: https://act.alz.org/site/TR?team_id=1042840&pg=team&fr_id=19943