Rick was born on June 25, 1950 in Findlay, IL to the late Dale and Loretta Waggoner. Rick grew up on farms in central Illinois where he developed a strong work ethic and a deep appreciation for nature and living, in large part, sustainably. Rick attended Northwestern High School in Palmyra, IL. He played drums in a school band as well as in a band with some of his buddies. He was also active in school plays and a choral group. Rick attended Western Illinois University in Macomb, IL. After his freshman year he took some time off and was drafted into the US Army for 3 years, which included a tour to Vietnam. He met his soul mate, Cynthia, at WIU and they were married in 1976. Rick graduated with a BS in Agronomy. In 1977 he started his career in the agricultural industry as a sales representative for American Chemicals. In 1985, Rick was promoted to the position of Complaint Specialist and moved to Raleigh, NC. Later he was promoted to Complaint Manager and eventually worked his way up to his final position as Director of Customer Service for Bayer Crop Sciences. Rick was well known in is company for his calm demeanor, strong management skills, as well as his ability to work with people of various backgrounds and levels within the company and industry.
Rick was passionate about cars. He enjoyed watching NASCAR races and drag racing on TV and going to car auctions. He enjoyed working in his yard and was proud of his well-manicured lawn and beautiful flower beds. Cynthia sometimes called him “ten green thumbs”. He also liked playing cards, going to the movies, driving around and listening to mystery and detective novels, and dining out. He was also a good photographer and in his younger years, he took a lot of pictures in the countryside (especially of old barns). Rick loved to laugh at a good story or joke, even those times when the joke was on him. Rick loved animals, especially his pet companions, his dog Bandit, and his cockatiel, Punky.
In addition to his parents, Rick was predeceased by his grandmother, Elizabeth Endris, and his brother, James Waggoner.
He is survived by his wife, Cynthia; his sister, Linda Waggoner; his sister-in-law, Elizabeth (Libby) Waggoner; his niece, Becky Waggoner Thibodeau; his nephew, Andy Waggoner; his great niece, Samantha Waggoner; his great nephew, Kyle Waggoner; and his great-great nephew, Kameron Waggoner as well as other extended family members.
A Celebration of Life was held on Saturday, November 6, 2021 in the Chapel of Mitchell Funeral Home.
The family wishes to to thank all of the staff that took care of him at Rex Hospital, Duke Hospital in Raleigh and Duke Hospital in Durham and Transitions Life Center. Also a special thanks to his private duty nurse, Susan Cox. The family deeply appreciated all the cards,emails, texts and visits Rick received during his illness and for all the prayers for him.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Rick's memory can be made to either of the following:
American Heart Association Gift Processing Center, PO Box 7885 Phoenix AZ, 85062;
Transitions LifeCare 250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh, NC 27607;
or Disabled American Veterans, PO Box 14301 Cincinatti OH, 45250.
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