Wilbur Baynham Rickett

1916 - 2010

Wilbur Baynham Rickett 1916 - 2010 Wilbur Baynham Rickett, a devoted husband and father, passed away peacefully February 25. He is preceded in death by his loving wife of 68 years, Virginia Rickett. He was an outstanding man who built all his life. Wilbur was born July 3, 1916 in Pomona, California. Wilbur graduated from the University of California Berkeley with a B.S. in Engineering. At Berkeley he met the love of his life - Virginia Snodderly who was working on her teaching credential. On July 21, 1940, they were married at Saint Paul's Episcopal Church in Red Bluff. In their 68 years of marriage he built his world around her. They made their first home in Brentwood and moved to Bakersfield in 1942, when Wilbur began working for the Kern County Land Company. Wilbur and Virginia raised six children, building a large and loving family. Their children are Jim Rickett, Joseph Rickett, Willa Mojibi, Cathy Crosby, John Rickett, and Clementine Rickett. Their grandchildren are Jason Rickett, Joshua Rickett, Darius Mojibi, Justin Rickett, Jeffrey Rickett, Cyrus Mojibi, Willa Crosby, Craig Rickett, Marcella Mojibi, Raymond Crosby, David Rickett, Holly Atkins, Marilee Rickett, Lillie Rickett, Levi Rickett, McKelvey Rickett, and Brynnly Rickett. Their great-grandchildren are Zachary Rickett, Celeste Rickett, Connor Rickett, Emma Mojibi, Ari Mojibi, Ian Mojibi, Beck Mojibi, and Augustus Rickett. Extended family members include Quinolia Wells, a part of the family for 60 years; Alicia Ricke, a foreign exchange student from Chile; and John Thomas with other football players from Bakersfield College. Family time was full of fun and activity. He introduced his children to all aspects of the world - and encouraged them to be independent thinkers. He mowed Rickett Field every weekend where St. Francis School and the neighborhood kids played baseball. Family vacations were spent in Catalina or on camping trips. He was a supporter of Bakersfield College athletics, loved to have tail gate parties, attended numerous Olympics, and followed the Dodgers. As a registered civil and geotechnical engineer, he built a business in Bakersfield that started with land leveling in 1948. Over the years the engineering firm expanded with partners John Reaves, Don Ward, Jim Delmarter, Wayne Deifel, and Joe Rickett. They did agricultural, petroleum, environmental, soil mechanics, and aerial engineering. They did property line surveying, work for water districts, pipeline surveys with plant construction, well locations, and waste water disposal systems. They surveyed the master plan for Kern City and Christo's Umbrella Project in the Tejon Pass. He built structures. He was also a partner in Tumblin Company with Ray Tumblin, Dale Manning, Jeff Manning, and David Manning. Some of their major projects included Memorial Stadium at Bakersfield College, the Chester Avenue underpass, the downtown jail, the Kern River levee flood control system, South Bakersfield High School, Stallion Springs Lodge, and overpasses along Highway 99. He rebuilt old buildings including many of the buildings damaged in the 1952 earthquake. The First Baptist Church (his church home for many years) was converted into Old Church Plaza with partners Majid Mojibi, his son-in-law, Bill Kuhs, and Jim Parker. With Earl Gibbons, Bob McCarthy, and Mike McCarthy The Ice House was renovated. Wilbur loved the mountains and hunting. He modified motorcycles and snow mobiles to get him into rough terrain in all weather. Virginia and he had many hunting trips for bear, antelope, elk, and beaver into the Wyoming wilderness. Wilbur stalked his trophy Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep for three years - finally bagging it and making it into the Boone and Crockett record book. He worked hard and played hard at places like 7th Heaven and Portuguese Meadow. Wilbur and Virginia traveled throughout the U.S. and to far away places with their lifelong friends. One memorable trip was with Bob Karpe on his way to Washington to work with President Reagan. Wilbur drove his RV through the gates of the White House and parked inside on his 65th birthday. They went to magic conventions in Spain, the Netherlands and Switzerland with Bill and Betty Saunders. They traveled to Chile and Hawaii with Jack and Norma Turman. They safaried in Africa with Jim and Kathy Delmarter. They took dune buggy trips down the old race trail in Baja Mexico with Jim and Suzie Dandy and Don and Dorothy Ward. His family spent time with his friends' families and all of the children grew up together. He was active in the First Congregational Church, serving as a deacon for many years. The family then attended the First Baptist Church. He was very traditional in his beliefs. He instilled in his family work ethic, honesty, and pride in accomplishments. He lived a successful and diversified life surrounded by his dearly loved family and friends. We would like to express our thanks to the family members who took care of Wilbur over the last year - in particular Quinolia Wells, Willa Mojibi, John Rickett, Cathy Crosby, his faithful friends, and grandchildren. Thank you to all who loved him, delivered him meals, took him to events, watched hours of Dodger baseball, and visited - keeping him busy after our Mom's death. He did not eat a meal or spend the night alone in the last year. Memorial services will be held at Greenlawn Mortuary, 3700 River Blvd., Saturday, March 6, 2010, at 10:00 a.m., with visitation on Friday, March 5, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." Matthew 7:24 www.bakersfield.com/obits