Obituary for Richard Paul Flores
It is with great sadness and much love that we announce that Richard Paul Flores passed in peace at his residence in Ypsilanti, Michigan at the age of 75 on Wednesday, January 22, 2020.
Rick was born on November 7, 1944 to Francisco Flores and Maria Zepeda Flores in Washington, District of Colombia. He spent his formative years in his native country of Honduras with his parents and siblings and a large extended family of cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. He was educated by Jesuit Priests and spent his childhood playing soccer, visiting the countryside, and engaging in youthful hijinks, which served for the basis of the many humorous stories he later became known for. In his teen years his family relocated to Miami, Florida where he attended high school and earned spending money selling the Miami News. After graduating from Miami Jackson High School in 1962 he enlisted in the United States Air Force proudly serving for four years before returning to Miami to attend Junior College.
A young man with a snap in his fingers and a song on his lips, adventure beckoned and Rick, heeding the call, headed North arriving in Michigan where the stars aligned and he met his true love, Mary Katherine “Kay” Stough whom he literally fell head over heels for on their first date. Rick and Kay married September 19, 1969, going on to have three brown-eyed girls Annmarie, Stephanie and Sara. Together, Rick and Kay loved to dance, bowl, garden and entertain friends and family at their home in Detroit, Michigan.
Rick was an employee at Ford Motor Company for 25 years. Although he wore many hats, such as spot welder, working on the right rear quarter panel of the Lincoln Town Car and a specialist on the repair team, he most enjoyed his last years working as a Diversity Trainer and a District Committeeman for the UAW Local 36. He retired in 2007 and went on to spend his time traveling with his wife to visit his children and grandchildren, volunteering for Freedom House Detroit, Leader Dog for the Blind, generously donating blood for the Red Cross, reading the newspaper from front to back, cheering for the Detroit Tigers, and of course, never letting the truth get in the way of a good story.
Rick was predeceased by his father, Francisco Flores. Rick is survived by his mother, Maria Zepeda Flores, his beloved wife of 50 years Mary Kay Flores (Stough), daughters Annmarie Flores (Germán), Stephanie Werkema (Dale), and Sara Flores-Boudreaux (Maia), grandchildren Grace, Annah, and Samuel Werkema, Devante Soriano-Flores, and Ruby Flores-Boudreaux, sister Carole Martin (Danny) and brother Robert Flores (Carol Kubie). His many nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family and many good friends fondly remember Rick as “the favorite”.
Rick was brave in the face of his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis and will forever be remembered in our hearts in the humor, wit, encouragements and love he showed all who had the privilege of knowing him. He leaves behind a large collection of t-shirts from all the colleges and states his daughters have attended and lived in.
Please consider a tribute gift to a charity of your choice in Rick’s honor.
Rick was born on November 7, 1944 to Francisco Flores and Maria Zepeda Flores in Washington, District of Colombia. He spent his formative years in his native country of Honduras with his parents and siblings and a large extended family of cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. He was educated by Jesuit Priests and spent his childhood playing soccer, visiting the countryside, and engaging in youthful hijinks, which served for the basis of the many humorous stories he later became known for. In his teen years his family relocated to Miami, Florida where he attended high school and earned spending money selling the Miami News. After graduating from Miami Jackson High School in 1962 he enlisted in the United States Air Force proudly serving for four years before returning to Miami to attend Junior College.
A young man with a snap in his fingers and a song on his lips, adventure beckoned and Rick, heeding the call, headed North arriving in Michigan where the stars aligned and he met his true love, Mary Katherine “Kay” Stough whom he literally fell head over heels for on their first date. Rick and Kay married September 19, 1969, going on to have three brown-eyed girls Annmarie, Stephanie and Sara. Together, Rick and Kay loved to dance, bowl, garden and entertain friends and family at their home in Detroit, Michigan.
Rick was an employee at Ford Motor Company for 25 years. Although he wore many hats, such as spot welder, working on the right rear quarter panel of the Lincoln Town Car and a specialist on the repair team, he most enjoyed his last years working as a Diversity Trainer and a District Committeeman for the UAW Local 36. He retired in 2007 and went on to spend his time traveling with his wife to visit his children and grandchildren, volunteering for Freedom House Detroit, Leader Dog for the Blind, generously donating blood for the Red Cross, reading the newspaper from front to back, cheering for the Detroit Tigers, and of course, never letting the truth get in the way of a good story.
Rick was predeceased by his father, Francisco Flores. Rick is survived by his mother, Maria Zepeda Flores, his beloved wife of 50 years Mary Kay Flores (Stough), daughters Annmarie Flores (Germán), Stephanie Werkema (Dale), and Sara Flores-Boudreaux (Maia), grandchildren Grace, Annah, and Samuel Werkema, Devante Soriano-Flores, and Ruby Flores-Boudreaux, sister Carole Martin (Danny) and brother Robert Flores (Carol Kubie). His many nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family and many good friends fondly remember Rick as “the favorite”.
Rick was brave in the face of his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis and will forever be remembered in our hearts in the humor, wit, encouragements and love he showed all who had the privilege of knowing him. He leaves behind a large collection of t-shirts from all the colleges and states his daughters have attended and lived in.
Please consider a tribute gift to a charity of your choice in Rick’s honor.