Moving to a small town in Nebraska at the age of two, Rick was raised in Springfield and participated in many school athletic programs; he excelled at soccer, later becoming a referee. After graduating from Platteview High School in 1988, Rick moved to Lincoln where he continued his education at Southeast Community College and earned an associate’s degree in electronics technology with a focus on computer science.
In 2002, Rick started a family by marrying his longtime girlfriend, Shannon Francisco; they welcomed their first son, Richard Sullivan (Sulli) in May of 2003 and their second son, Zachary (Zach) Lee in July of 2010. Rick was a family man and he greatly enjoyed fatherhood. He proudly taught his sons his personal “Three F’s of Life” philosophy of “family, friends, and fun” being most important to lead a happy life. With his sons, he often spent time hunting for bugs to examine, attending cub scout activities, watching movies (especially Star Wars or anything sci-fi), coaching soccer, and playing video games. He enjoyed teaching his sons outdoor survival skills and taking them on as many family vacations as possible. Every July 4th, he would take great pleasure providing a fireworks display for his family to enjoy, while also teaching his sons how to handle them safely.
While being very peaceful person, he was often seen as a protector by his friends and family because he was a passionate, lifelong student of martial arts. In his youth, he began by practicing Tae Kwon Do. As an adult, he focused on excelling at Aikido and ninjitsu. (Yes, Rick was a ninja!) It was not uncommon to see him at home practicing dive rolls over fences with his friends. In time, he achieved his black belt in ninjitsu and became a sensei—training other students in the art of ninjitsu.
He is survived by, and will be greatly missed by, his wife Shannon Becker; sons, Richard Sullivan and Zachary Lee; parents, Susie (Johndro) and Dan Smith and Ron and Dru Becker; and many extended family members and friends. He was preceded in death by his biological father, Edmond Shaw.
A Celebration of Rick’s Life will take place 2:00 p.m, Saturday, June 15, 2024, at Roper and Sons South Lincoln Chapel, 3950 Hohensee Drive. Livestream will be available ten minutes prior to service at roperandsons.com/livestream.
Memorials can be made at any Liberty First Credit Union location to the Becker Memorial College Fund.