Lonnie Rickey was the best person to take on any road trip. He would captivate you with hours of random trivia from current events to World War 2, and then triumph in a 'name that tune' contest. If you ever needed a recommendation on a good Chinese restaurant or Edgar Rice Burroughs book he was your man. He loved skiing, camping, woodworking, golfing (probably could have made it on PGA tour if it weren't for lack of skill) and, most of all, spending time with his daughter Ciera.

He was the Special Education teacher at Mary Walker High School for (26) years where he helped to inspire the minds of so many students. He had a way of being able to connect with every student regardless of their background. He always rooted for the underdog and was his students biggest fan. He was the type of man to give the shirt off his back without hesitation.

Lonnie was Deer Park High School's first state champion wrestler in 1978, weighing in at a whopping 108 lbs. He continued his wrestling career at Eastern Washington University and then passed down his passion to others as a coach for Springdale's wrestling teams for both High School, and the Junior High. He is survived by his daughter Ciera (David) Read, parents Carmen and Arthur Rickey of Deer Park as well as brothers and sisters; Art (Anita) Rickey of Deer Park, Doug (Jamie) Rickey of Chewelah, Debbie (Ken) Wynn of Parma Idaho, and Dena (Mick) Flugel of Deer Park. Although he will no longer be around for camping trips to Priest Lake or ski days to Lookout Pass, he will always hold a special place in our hearts, and be remembered as the compassionate, loving man that he was. A celebration of life will be held at Mary Walker High School, Sunday January 27 ^th 2019 in the auditorium at 2:00PM. A private memorial will be held for the family later in the week.