Pastor Edwin A. Ricketts

March 13, 1937 - July 22, 2020

Life Sketches for Pastor Edwin A. Ricketts March 13, 1937— July 22, 2020 About three months before Edwin was born, his parents, Violet Evelyn and Samuel Tamlin Ricketts, moved from Colorado Springs, Colorado to the San Pedro area of California. Edwin was born in Los Angeles County Hospital on March 13, 1937. Unable to agree on what to name their newborn, each parent placed their selections in a hat and then each pulled out a name. The “winners” were Edwin Arnold. A few months later, the family returned to Colorado. Four years later his sister, Sandra Jean, joined the family. Linda Alyce made the family complete when Ed was 11 years old. Sadly, his parents divorced soon after Ed’s 12th birthday. He and his mother and sisters moved into a duplex shared by his maternal grandparents, Hiram and Bessie Powell. Ed became a Boy Scout and advanced to Explorer Scout, Eagle Scout and finally Sea Scout. After becoming a pastor, he became a Pathfinder Master Guide and began Pathfinder Clubs in nearly every district in which he served. From his earliest childhood, his Grandma Powell took Eddie and his sisters to worship in her small Friends Church (Quaker), which he attended until he was about 14 years old. His grandmother loved to tell the story that when Eddie was about 6 or so years old, as he listened to the sermon in that Quaker church, he whispered to her, “Someday, Grandma,I’ll be doing that.” After graduating from Colorado Springs High School in 1955, Eddie joined the Marine Corps. He was sent to Camp Pendleton following boot camp and soon was deployed to Iwo Jima, Japan. Following that year, he returned to Pendleton where he first met Ricki briefly when he and other young Marines were visiting friends in Norwalk and Ricki’s friend, Patty, invited the young folks to visit Ricki’s house to enjoy a game of tetherball. In 1958, Ricki’s family moved from Norwalk to Buena Park and Ed & Ricki reconnected. In early 1959, Ed began attending the Norwalk SDA Church with Ricki and her family. Soon he took Bible studies and made a decision to be baptized. Ed & Ricki became engaged in December, 1959 and married in the Norwalk SDA Church, July 31, 1960. Immediately, they became very active in church ministry. Soon Ed and Steve Bassham, under the mentorship of Pastor Robert Zamora, conducted a successful youth led tent evangelistic meeting in Norwalk. A few months after the Ricketts married, Pastor Andrew Fearing held a meeting at the White Memorial Church in Los Angeles where he preached a powerful message and invited young men who felt the call of the Holy Spirit for gospel ministry to come forward. Suddenly Ed’s young wife saw her husband up and running down the aisle and from the other side of the church their friend, Steve Bassham, also running to the platform. Side-by-side they stood with other youths who came forward to dedicate their lives to pastoral ministry. Soon Ed and Ricki began attending La Sierra College where Ed worked as a campus police officer and Ricki worked as a switchboard operator and later Switchboard Supervisor. Evelyn (Dusty) arrived the day before classes were to begin at La Sierra in 1961. Edwin David was born at Loma Linda Hospital in 1964. Kerri Joy arrived in 1970, while Ed pastored the Lake Charles, Louisiana District. Following Ed’s graduation from La Sierra College, the family moved to Andrews University Theological Seminary where Ed was invited to pastor a small church in Covert, Michigan. The summer of 1967 found the family serving in the Arkansas-Louisiana Conference in the Little Rock district (Little Rock, Benton, Pine Bluff and Stuttgart churches) where Ed was Associate Pastor, preaching three times a month in Pine Bluff and Stuttgart and once a month in Little Rock and Benton. Later Ed pastored churches in the Lake Charles District (Lake Charles, DeRidder, Centerville), Alexandria District (Alexandria, Georgetown, Pineville, New Iberia), New Orleans Franklin Avenue and Chalmette. He also served in the West Virginia Mountainview Conference in the Beckley/Welch District. In Arizona. He pastored Phoenix Mountain View Church in a district with the Maricopa Indian Church, Flagstaff and Sedona District Churches, Lake Havasu City and Parker. When called to California he served the El Centro/Brawley District Churches. The last nine years of his ministry he served the Hesperia Church and Phelan Company. After retiring from full-time ministry, he remained active in hospital visitations, Bible studies and teaching Sabbath School in the Victorville Church. Ed was ordained to the gospel ministry in 1971 while serving the Alexandria, Louisiana District. He is survived by his wife, Ricki, daughter Evie (Dusty), son Edwin David, daughter Kerri Smith and son-in-law, Glenn Smith. Also surviving are his sisters and brothers-in-law, Sandra and Paul Forsett, Linda and Steve Bryant, a half-brother, Glenn Ricketts, two grandchildren, Rachel Spivey and Justin Smith, four great grandsons, Charles (Chaz), Gabriel, William (Liam) and Tory, as well as numerous cherished nieces, nephews and friends and a half-sister, Dixie Roche that predeceased him. As busy as he was with his churches, Pastor Ed made time and space for his family and is lovingly remembered as a dedicated husband and caring father. Pastor Ed loved the blessed hope and felt grateful for the decades of service to God’s remnant churches. It was his constant prayer that the circle will be upbroken when Christ returns to claim His own. He wants to see you all rejoicing on that great reunion day! I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 The family wishes to extend heartfelt thanks for the condolences, cards, prayers and for your attendance at the graveside and/or Memorial Service at Victorville SDA Church. Love & blessings to you all. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Desmond Doss Foundation https://www.desmonddossfoundation.org/donate.php ADRA (Adventist Development Relief Agency https://donations.adra.org/donate?_ga=2.239776003.1471407485.1603910981-600202350.1603910981 or the Wounded Warrior Project https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ The burial will be at the Riverside VA Cemetery October 30, 2020. The map and driving directions are listed below. Everyone must be on time as they are on a tight schedule. The Memorial Service will be held Sunday, November 1 at 1pm at the Victorville SDA Church located at 16070 Lorene Dr, Victorville, CA 92395 The service will be streamed live and if you plan to attend, please RSVP as they are only allowed 65 people. The service at the Victorville SDA Church will be live and you can see link to it at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCceUONkGyWAQAUD_vksrQXw or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vvworship/?ref=page_internal