The funeral for Richard L. "Rick"
LaFerla, 50, of Council Bluffs will be Thursday at 11 a.m. at
Cutler-O'Neill-Meyer-Woodring Funeral Home.
Mr. LaFerla died June 27 at his home.
He was born Sept. 9, 1953 in Phoenix, Ariz., and graduated from
Thomas Jefferson High School in 1971. He lived in Council Bluffs
most of his life. He was a writer and publisher and published
"The Voice," "On the Edge of Decency" and
"An Interview with an American Monk."
He was a member of Unity Church in Omaha.
Survivors include a daughter, Nikki McQuay, and husband, Mike,
of St. Cloud, Fla.; a son, Chris and wife, Jen, of Omaha; two
sisters, Teri Talcott and Cindy Fox and husband, Roger, all of
Council Bluffs; two grandsons, Jordan and Bryce McQuay; two nieces,
Lindsay and Libby Fox, both of Council Bluffs; a nephew, Eric
Doty and wife, Kim, of Council Bluffs.
To Chad, Stacy and all of Rick's friends out
there:
Following the services at the Funeral Home, we will be following
Rick's wishes by having a celebration of his life, with plenty
to eat and drink, continuous Beatles music playing, and lots of
good memories shared. My address is 2107 Avenue F in Council Bluffs.
Call for directions if needed-256-4801. Thanks for all your Love
and support.
Sincerely, Teri
(Rick's Sister)
I'm so sorry. My deepest sympathies.
My thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family.
Megan Komorowski (California)
Sending you love and good spirit at this trying time. Remember
always the joy and fulfillment that Rick bought to your life and
may he rest in peace.
In Reality
Kirstie Silk (Australia)
My deepest sympathies go out to all his loved ones.
Ron Burrows (Rochester, New York)
For Rick -
His heart pointed up
towards an infinite sky,
which welcomed him home.
Love,
Royal Atman (Nebraska)
roar roar
into the wild blue yonder
gonna miss you dear heart
many mane hugs...
til we meet again,
Kelly (Australia)
to Rick's family and friends,
sorry for your loss
here are tears to add to the many
sincerely,
Julee Swanson (Washington)
We never realize what it is that we set in motion by the very
things that we do and that we react to in our lives. I tell people
all the time that we should always honor those around us at all
times as we never know when they will leave us. I care for you
guys and you are in my heart and in my meditations. Be at peace
Chad, Rick would have wanted this. I know how close you guys were.
Even in the short time I knew Rick I was touched by him in so
many ways.
Om Shanti
Dr. Steven Hairfield (Reno, NV)
This was written January last for a close
friend of mine and sadly now with minor
revisions, seems appropriate for Rick,
a fine and dear poetic acquaintance.
My deepest condolences to his
family and close friends.
GO FORTH, RICK
Missed opportunities
Are just so, and then
In the process of letting them go,
One can lose looking forward to when.
Or so it seems
Too many times
Leaving a bittersweet taste,
Not being cleansed by limes.
Or instead, being frozen in mind
When upon a warm summer's day,
A quintessential poetic man dies far too young
And worldwide friends will greatly miss his say.
© SuSanne &*_*& [M.B. Powell]
31jan.'04 ~ revision-29june'04
Upper Montclair, New Jersey
Rick was such a beautiful man, and I count myself lucky to have
been able to visit and stay a little while with him in Sept. 2002.
There is so much I could say about Rick, but instead I wrote him
this song in tribute to comfort his family and friends during
our grief.
Love you Mr. Rick LaFerla and I always will!
Barbara Bailey
~Flying Lion~
(v.1)
I hear his voice in the thunder
Feel his tears for us in the rain
I see his smile in the bright sunshine
He's in no more pain
Lord
He's in no more pain
(v.2)
I see his eyes in the blue sky
Feel his love of peace in the night
Feel his reach from the tall oak tree
Our Lion's taken flight
Lord
Our Lions taken flight
(cho.)
Lion flying
Telling me I gotta stop this crying
Lion flying
Telling me I gotta stop this crying, now
But how?
(v.3)
I can feel his love in the sunset
Feel his touch by the light of the moon
The twinkle in his eyes is in those stars
Our Lion left so soon
Lord
Our Lion left so soon
(bridge)
Yesterday
I heard him say
Imagine this world
in a different way
I'm making my stand
I wanna hold your hand
But you gotta let it go
and set me free
Don't weep for me
Let it be
Let it be
Let it be
(v.4)
I feel his strength in the lightning
Hear his sweet song rise from the dove
Hear him laugh in the roaring wind
He's gone home to Love
Lord
He's gone home to Love
(cho.)
Lion flying
Telling me I gotta stop this crying
Lion Flying
Telling me I gotta stop this crying
Showing me
Healing me
Let it be
I have left this earthly plane.
I am free of earthly cares,
But my spirit lives on.
It can be felt everywhere.
My voice can be heard
In the sounds of the wind.
My presence can be felt
As I touch your heart within.
My work on earth is complete.
I no longer live in pain.
I am free of life's challenges
And only peace remains.
I leave behind a legacy
Of words that speak great truth.
It is a legacy of love.
May it live on in each of you.
I have moved on, my friends.
I am in God's loving care.
I am one with Great Spirit
And have found peace beyond compare.
Carry on, my friends.
Speak your truth loud and clear.
Bring your message of awareness
To all who are willing to hear.
Rick LaFerla
1953-2004
- Marla Wienandt
“I read the news today, oh boy…”---Lennon/McCartney
I had spoken to Rick twice on the phone before I actually met
him. He sounded like this serious poet with all these plans about
changing people’s heads, which he was, but not until I actually
met him did I realize that was only a fraction of Rick LaFerla.
The first time I met Rick was the night of my first poetry reading
at Barnes & Nobles in Council Bluffs. I’m sitting there
not sure what to expect. I’d never had any direct dealings
with poets before, and for some time I even harbored the delusion
that I was the only one and if there were others maybe I was too
weird for their intellectual and exclusive clique. Then in walks
this tall, thin dude. Semi-long hair, mustache, wearing shorts,
sandals, and a Rolling Stones t-shirt.
“Hi, I’m Rick”. You’ve got to be shitting
me, I thought. This guy doesn’t look like the black turtleneck
sweater type. This guy looks like somebody I’d buy weed
from!
In the short time I knew Rick and the few times we’d hung
out, I got to know this mellow, laid-back guy who had his eyes
wide open to the truth of just about everything going on around
him. Whether he was teaching me a new way of thinking or simply
correcting me about who wrote what Beatles song, there was always
something to learn and absorb from him.
I saw in the paper today that he had died. At first, I thought
it was another guy with the same name, but I knew that was bullshit.
After it sunk in for a little while, I got really mad. I thought;
power of positive thought, you shmuck. How dare you leave the
world with so much left to say! Then, I realized that I was being
selfish. Who was I to dictate terms in the grand scheme of life
and death? Naturally, if it were up to me, the people I care about
would never have kidney problems, complications from surgery,
or die; but that’s not the way the world works.
I just finished reading Rick’s poem “Band of Light”
in the gallery, and who knows, maybe he was ready to go. Maybe
that was the next step for him in his evolution to a greater understanding
of the true nature of the human spirit. Maybe this is a bunch
of mystic nonsense. Who’s to say? I personally don’t
believe that death is an ending, more like a transition. I don’t
think we ever really end.
What I do know is this. We have lost one of our greatest voices
and one of our greatest friends and one of the truest human beings
to ever walk the earth. Even when he was miserable with pain after
dialysis or depressed because of his shitty situation he found
himself in, he still held onto hope. He held onto that spark of
optimism at all times, and I think that not only elevated him
but also all of those around him. I remember going over to his
place one day depressed as hell for some dumb reason, and after
talking to him for three minutes, whatever it was that was bothering
me was no longer a big deal. He had that effect on people.
I’ve met a lot of smart people in my life, but Rick LaFerla
was the first wise person that I’ve ever met. I’ll
miss him.
---Andrew Lewis
