Rick Vinyard

1949 - 2019

Rick Vinyard

Las Cruces - Rick Vinyard passed away at Memorial Medical Center on October 12, 2019 in Las Cruces, NM. Rick was born September 12, 1949 in Mountainair, New Mexico to Leon and Velma Vinyard. He married Kathy Traylor in 1969.

Throughout his career he managed Culligan for his parents, worked as a City of Las Cruces Firefighter at stations 1 and 3, served as a Sergeant in the US Army Reserves from 1969 to 1975, was the owner of Sports Corner, and worked at White Sands Missile Range as a Sports Specialist and Director of the Community Center. After retirement he worked at the NMSU golf course, and regularly enjoyed playing the course with his friends. Throughout the years he excelled at playing team and individual sports including baseball, football, basketball, fast-pitch softball, racquetball, and golf. In addition to playing sports he was a booster and season ticket holder of NMSU's athletic teams, as well as an avid New York Yankees fan. He also refereed high school basketball and football and was selected several times for the State tournament championship games. Through all his sports he made many lifelong friends with both teammates and competitors. He was a man of integrity and perseverance and was devoted to his family enjoying many family trips especially to Disneyland. He was also a technology enthusiast from the earliest days of the Atari 2600 to smart homes. But most of all he was an untiring, supportive, loving, and humorous husband, father, and friend.

He is survived by his wife Kathy Vinyard, brother Leon (Lena Mae) Vinyard, son Ricky (Katherine) Vinyard, Jr., daughter Shawna (Roy) Arthur, son Stan (Jenna) Vinyard, granddaughters Heather (Jesse) Akers and Jessica Brown, two great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews including Chip and Mike Snapp.

Rick Vinyard is preceded in death by his parents Leon and Velma, and sister Jonquil Koch (Fred).

A viewing will be held at 2:00pm Friday, October 18, 2019 at Getz Funeral Home, with a memorial service to follow at 3:00pm, and all Aggie fans are encouraged to wear their crimson. A reception will be held at the family home after services.

A private burial will take place at the family cemetery / ranch at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the NMSU scholarship fund at https://advancing.nmsu.edu/givenow.

Arrangements by Getz Funeral Home, 1410 E. Bowman Ave. Las Cruces, NM 88001. Please visit www.getzcares.com to sign the local online guest book.