"No Man Stands So Straight And Tall As When He Stoops To Lift Up A Child." James J. Davis Chairman of the Loyal Order of Moose War Relief Commission in 1918
I am sorry to report that a member of our Moose family passed today. Kim "Bear" Ricketts passed around 11 am today April 21, 2010 at Fair Oaks Hospital. Bear was an amazing friendly person who was a son, a friend to many, an avid poker player, and a son of the American Legion. It is with sadness that we say good bye to a dear friend. Bear you will be missed! We will update this article as more information is made available.
"If we have been pleased with life, then we should not be displeased with death, since it comes from the hands of the same Master." Michelangelo
Update (April 24, 2010): We feel the tremendous pain that the Ricketts family is going though at this time. We would like to thank the Ricketts family for allowing our membership to say their last respects to our dear departed friend Bear. There will be a viewing and service from 2:00pm to 4:00pm on May 1, 2010 at the Fairfax Memorial Gardens in Fairfax, Virginia. The final burial ceremony afterward is only for the immediate family. Please be respectful of the family’s wishes and do not contact them directly. There is still in the works a memorial service for Bear at the American Legion for some time in May. More information will be available on the website as we receive it. For directions to Fairfax Memorial Gardens in Fairfax click here.
New Update (April 26, 2010): The American Legion Post #177 has set a time and date for Bear's memorial. The date will be Tuesday May 4, 2010 at 7:00pm. We are postponing the start of Tuesdays Free Texas Hold'em poker tournament to 8:00pm. This is to allow all poker players to attend Bear's memorial service. This service is open to all Moose members.