Robert "Ricky" Richard Karlecke Jr.

Born to Robert Karlecke Sr and Jeanne Shuyler in Cheverly, Maryland, his parents moved the family, including his older sister Helen, to Darien, Wisconsin where Ricky spent his childhood.

In his teens and 20's Ricky was known as a free-spirited, punk rocker with a heart of gold. At this time he was also lovingly known as Sticky Ricky, Ricky Pickles, Rickdiculous and Ricky the Great. He always had a great love for dogs and a passion for music, he was an avid scavenger, an enthusiastic and seasoned train hopper, a talented dancer, and an even better hugger.

Ricky loved all animals, especially dogs, his entire life and they loved him too. Some of the great K9 loves of his life were Shasta, Loki, D.O.G. , Thor, Maple & Daisy. He cared about all animals and would occasionally come home with strays, or go out of his way to help wildlife. The deer and racoons in his neighborhood were very well fed.

Ricky had a special relationship with music. His talent for drumming appeared early in his childhood, he would often be tapping or drumming on things around the house as a kid. Always open-minded, his music taste ranged all across the board from gangster rap to alternative to punk rock (including street punk & hardcore), all the way to classical music. Some of his all time favorite bands were Rancid, Aus Rotten, AntiFlag, the Unseen, Nirvana, and Michael Jackson.

His clear talent and obvious love of all things musical led him to join many bands. He contributed his incredible talents as a self taught drummer, known for his endless energy and creative stylings. His ability to be open - minded when it came to new ideas, styles, and different types of music cemented his legacy with his bandmates. Some of the bands he drummed in were Short Fuse, Andy and the Outcry, and Rhetoric Vendetta.

Ricky also appreciated the simple things in life and he knew that the most beautiful things in this world are free. His sense of adventure compelled him to travel by a very unconventional method, train hopping. He spent years riding trains all across the country. It would bring him such joy to sneak into a train yard sometimes all alone, sometimes with others, many times with his companion dog, Shasta, and then dive onto a moving train. Sometimes Ricky would plan and know where they were going, but often it was destination unknown. His free spirit allowed him to throw caution to the wind and relinquish all control just for the next adventure around the corner, a level of courage that escapes most others.

In 2013, after his years of traveling, Ricky became a first time father to his beautiful daughter, Novii. Knowing that adventure and bravado were not enough to support his sweet daughter, he faced a new challenge, and threw himself back into workforce to ensure her future. Years later he met his wife, Rachael, and another exciting chapter began. They started their lives together, and their son Dexter was born in 2021, and they married shortly after. Ricky loved his wife and kids more than anything in the entire world, and worked tirelessly to make sure they were happy and well taken care of, even after his cancer diagnosis. He continued to work, provide, love, and adore his family, always putting them first whenever possible. He sacrificed so much for his family, and loved them endlessly. Ricky's love for his family extended beyond his own children, proven by how devoted of an uncle to his two nieces, Addison and Emma and his nephew, Cole, he was. He loved spending time with all the kids and made them each feel special in their own way. You can find his love of all things humorous in Dexter's laugh, hear his whit and sarcasm in Novii's quips, his incredible musical talent is on full display with Addison and Emma, and his childlike appreciation of the world around him in Cole's innocence and wonder.

Ricky was a ridiculously clever, hilarious, tough, giant-hearted man, who never turned away from hard work. He held his values very high and always fought for what was right, especially fighting for the little guy. To know him truly was to love him, his energy was captivating. If he loved you, it was with his whole heart, it was never wishy-washy.

Ricky was preceded in death by his parents, his grandparents, and many friends also lost too soon. He is survived by his daughter Novii, his wife Rachael, their son Dexter, his sister Helen (Matt) Muchow, his nieces and nephew Addison, Emma, and Cole.

A celebration of life will be held at Querhammer & Flagg Funeral Home, 500 W Terra Cotta Ave, Crystal Lake IL, 60014, on Sunday, July 12th 1pm-4pm. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the family's GoFundMe.