Obituary of Richard David Massey

Richard “Rico” Massey, 61, of Venice, Florida, and formerly of Wilmington, Illinois, died on June 22, 2023.  He was born on November 17, 1961, in Joliet, Illinois, to Rollin and Sonia Massey.  Rico graduated from Joliet West High School in Joliet, Illinois.  He met his wife, Marilyn, in 1981 and spent the next 42 years sharing one adventure to the next.

Rico had a very upbeat, joyous personality.  It was rare to catch him having a bad day.  He was a master of mirth, a true maestro of laughter.  He had the uncanny ability to find joy in the simplest things and had a knack for transforming even the most mundane moments into comedic gold.  His laughter was infectious and could light up a room.  He was a master prankster and lifelong everyday comedian.

Rico received his nickname at an early age from his adored Aunt Lily.  “El Rico” or “the rich one” in Spanish because he was always saving his pennies affectionately became “Rico” and has stuck ever since!

Rico and Marilyn owned and operated many businesses from donut shops to real estate management throughout the 42 years, but he was most proud of his trucking and material handling company Material Distribution Inc. He was a proud member of the Teamsters Local #179 and the Operators Local #150. He retired in 2016 and sold Material Distribution Inc. He had a special aptitude of recognizing business opportunities and thinking outside of the box.

Rico enjoyed golf, fishing, and boating, but his favorite pastime was helping friends and family.  He loved nothing more than good conversation while working on various projects that came up, especially with his beloved nephews.  He could tell a great story and even though they were usually very long stories, friends and family actually wanted to listen.  He was born with the gift of gab.

Rico was a lifelong lover of music that started at a young age when he learned to play the alto sax.  As a Boots Randolph protégé, Rico could play “Yakety Sax” like nobody’s business.  He had a heart of gold and will be greatly missed!

He is preceded in death by his mother, Sonia Massey; sister-in-law, Madelyn Mecha; aunt, Leona Terdic;  cousins, Diane  Terdic, Ricky Terdic, Pat, and Claude Massey.

He is survived by his wife, Marilyn Massey; father, Rollin Massey of North Port, Florida; mother-in-law Elaine Disera (Sam) of Englewood, Florida; brother, Rollin (John) and Tammy Perkins of Reddick, Illinois; sisters-in-law, Marlo Atchison (Paul Masina), Debbie Massey; 4 nephews, Rollin (Lauren Hakey), Michael, Christopher (Dave Henning) and Noah White; godmother and aunt, “Aunt Lily”, Lillian Rapcan; uncle and dear friend, “Uncle Joseppi”, Joseph Rapcan; uncle Richard Terdic; special cousins Lynette "Lynie" Rapcan, Steve Rapcan, Dan (Jean) Terdic, Linda (Don) Flaynik, Lynne (Bob) Basarich, Pam (Rick) Jernberg, Kenny Orr, Jim Massey, Bev Moss, and Drew Massey; friends Darrell “Butch” and Mari Baker, Tom and Diana Alberico, Nick Seidel, Marty Rodin, Paul & Julie Cheeseman.

Service will be at the Farley Funeral Home in Venice Florida on Friday, June 30, 2023, from 2-4 PM.

Memorial donations can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.