Richard M. Rhey Jr.

Richard M. (Rick) Rhey Jr. In a letter to his father, Karl Marx wrote "History calls those men the greatest who have ennobled themselves by working for the common good." In Richard M. (Rick) Rhey Jr.'s 69 years, he worked to embody this principle. He was a devoted grandfather, lifelong seeker of knowledge, and tireless champion for civil rights and social justice who passed away suddenly from cardiac arrest due to Ebstein's Anomaly at his home in Tucson on October 11, 2014. Rick fought housing discrimination and helped thousands in Wisconsin and Southern Arizona find and keep quality, affordable homes in his roles at the Lincoln Neighborhood Community Center, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council, and finally as executive director of the Southwest Fair Housing Council. He was a 17-year resident of Tucson, born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on October 27, 1944, the eldest of five and son of Mary and Richard M. Rhey, Sr., a union steward at the American Brass Company. He graduated from St. Joseph's High School and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned a degree in anthropology. He later received a master's in urban studies from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and received national recognition and numerous grants for his work in fair housing from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, among other organizations. In his quest for knowledge and experience, he amassed a vast collection of books and became a hobbyist of motorcycles, astronomy, photography, chess, stamps, rare coins, and Mayan art. And even though he bonded with the desert Southwest, he never lost his passion for Wisconsin sports teams. Rick married and is survived by his lifelong companion and fellow Kenosha native Stella K. (Kate) Bernacchi, a current resident of Tucson. Rick is also survived by five sisters, Marilyn, Ann, Margaret, Sara, and Cathy, as well as three sons, Robert (of Kenosha), Erik (of New York), and Hans (of Tucson), six grandsons, and one granddaughter. His epitaph is best summarized in the two custom Arizona license plates he had on his cars: "Praxis" (a term that means putting ideas into action) and "Be Fair." The family has asked that those who want to continue Richard Rhey's work and legacy donate to the Southwest Fair Housing Council, a 501(c)(3) non-profit in Tucson, Arizona. Arrangements by BRING'S BROADWAY CHAPEL.