Will Walton Rickman

Obituary of Will Walton Rickman

Hilton - Will Walton Rickman passed away on Thursday, October 2, 2025 at the age of 89. He was born June 14th, 1936 in Maryville, Missouri.

Will was predeceased by his parents, Clement Walton and Genevieve Todd Rickman; stepmother, Joan Rickman; an infant brother, Gene Rickman; brother, Dr. Jon Rickman; sister, Genevieve Mitchell; beloved son, Daniel Rickman, and cherished granddaughter, Trystan Sylvester.

Will is survived by his cherished wife and best friend of 68 years, Carolyn Yvonne Rickman; his children, Will Rickman Jr. (Kathi) and Julie Rickman; his Grand Girls, Kristina Payne (Jathan), Amy Rickman, Victoria Gotham (Jonathan), and Kourtney Zelazny (Joseph); his Great Grands, Skylar, Kaelyn, Jonny, Nathan, Makaela, Nevaeh, Savannah, Ariyah, and Sawyer. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Donna Rickman.

Will grew up in a Christian home where attendance at church was as regular as the days of the week. His first years were in Maryville. The family moved to Daytona Beach, FL early in 1943 as suggested by the family doctor to alleviate his little brother Jon's severe bronchitis. They moved to the farm near Warrensburg MO in 1949 when Will was in 7th grade where he attended a one room schoolhouse located on the farm which closed at the end of the school year. He then attended Junior high and High School at College High in Warrensburg.

Will was baptized by immersion and became a member of the Warrensburg MO First Christian Church - Disciples of Christ. He was very active in his church youth group (including state level) and continued church related service throughout his life.

Will was an excellent student at College High where he played trumpet in the band, orchestra, and dance band. He was also on the basketball team and ran in track. He lettered in sports and music each year of high school. He served on the student council, was a member of the national honor society, and graduated Salutatorian of his class. As he matured, he worked hard on the farm even while attending school full time.

Will continued his excellent grades prior to graduation at age 20 from Central Missouri State University in December 1956. In addition to working part time in the business office of the college and spending many hours working on the family farm, Will was active in the Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity, National Honor Society, Phi Sigma Pi, and the campus Science Club. He majored in physics and double minored in math and chemistry and was listed in "Who's Who in American College Students" the year he graduated.

He met Carolyn when she came to work part time in the business office. It didn't take long for them to discover many common interests and values. They were soon dating, and a year and five days after first meeting they were married and anticipating a future together.

A week after the wedding they were on their way to Rochester, New York where Will became the youngest person hired in his position at Kodak in film testing. He retired from Kodak in 1991 with 35 years of service with additional positions in Film Services (Medical and Industrial X-ray, Graphic Arts products and Magnetic Tapes), Assistant Department Head and X-ray Film Finishing Dept. and Kodak Office Marketing in Business Imaging Systems (Micrographic Products.) Will's favorite hymn was "I Would Be True For There are Those Who Trust Me," and he portrayed that dedication in devotion to his God, his family, his friends, and his church as well as in the workplace.

Will had joined the Methodist Church after Will and Carolyn moved to Rochester where there was no Disciples of Christ Christian Church. He served in many capacities in Grace United Methodist Church and for many years in Hilton United Methodist Church. His Christian faith and service to God and others was always an important part of the man he became.

Will had joined the National Guard (Missouri from 1954–1957 and later in New York from 1957–1960) while still in school and continued in the Army Reserves for a total of eight years. His unit was called once while at summer camp, to prepare for Korea but they were not deployed. He received an Honorary Discharge when he ceased his service.

Although Will earned a living for his family from a desk and traveling for Kodak, he was the epitome of a "jack of all trades" with his many abilities in mechanics, farming, electrical, etc., and he was a "liberated father" long before the coining of that term - he fed his children, changed diapers, did laundry, and all the other tasks of homemaking as he saw need. His wife was a very lucky woman!

In September 1965, Will, Carolyn, sons, Will Jr., and Dan moved to their newly built home on 10 acres in Parma. Daughter Julie was born in February 1966 to complete their family. The birth of each of their children was met with joy and a sense of responsibility to raise the children in a Christian environment. It was hoped that each child would come to know Christ as their Savior at some time in their lives.

Will's farming background served the family well as they built a stable for the horses that would be the first of many animals for the entire family to enjoy. Caring for the animals taught responsibility and the necessity for hard work to keep everything cared for.

In addition to Will's deep involvement with his own children Will's dedication to children was exemplified in his work with the YMCA Indian Guide and Adventure Guide Programs with his sons. In the mid-70's he served as the National Chief of the only national Indian Guide Convention to be held in Rochester. His love of children is also exemplified in his mentorship of four young boys during their confirmation into the church as well as his love of his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. He served in many capacities at his church and was always on call day or night to help his family and friends.

In 1997 Will and Carolyn participated in a Walk to Emmaus. Their faith in the value of the Walk to Emmaus to impact the spiritual growth of individuals prompted them to sponsor 17 people (at this writing) and to serve on the Western New York Walk to Emmaus Board of Directors for a total of 7 1/2 years. Sponsoring others was a special joy, and they felt privileged to serve on the board.

Will and Carolyn loved to travel as their children were growing up. They visited many of the continental United States, and also included Julie and her daughters on many exciting vacations as they were growing up. They both enjoyed visiting sites of interest wherever they were but especially enjoyed God's creation - always being drawn to the things of nature. With their children grown, the two of them eventually visited 4 of the Hawaiian islands, Saint Thomas, Puerto Rico, Barbados, England, Scotland, Wales, France, and Switzerland as well as revisiting a number of the US states and parts of Canada. The beauty of this great country always made them feel blessed, but trips to "Home" in Missouri remained a favorite through all the years. Will and Carolyn enjoyed a beautiful 50th anniversary celebration in 2006 surrounded by friends and family from near and far.

Will should be remembered as a Good Man. Above all, the world has been a better place because Will was in it.

Family and friends are invited to call on Thursday, October 9th from 4–7 p.m. at the Thomas E. Burger Funeral Home, Inc., 735 East Avenue, Hilton, NY 14468. Will's Funeral Service will be held on on Friday, October 10th at 1:00 p.m. at the Hilton United Methodist Church, 21 West Avenue in Hilton followed by interment in Parma Union Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in memory of Will to the Hilton United Methodist Church, 21 West Avenue, Hilton, NY 14468 or National Park Foundation, 1500 K Street NW, Suite 700, Washingto, D.C 20005. Click on the charity names to link to the donation sites.