Richard (Rick) Isaacs passed away peacefully at home with his family on July 1, 2017 at the age of 62. He gained his angel wings and is free from ALS at last. Rick was born in 1954 to Barbara and Ed Isaacs in New Haven, Connecticut. He is survived by his loving wife of 39 years, Cindy Isaacs of Huntsville, his daughter Jackie Sablan and her husband Paco of Orange Beach, Alabama, his son Greg Isaacs and his wife Emily of Nashville, Tennessee, his brother Ed Isaacs Jr. and his wife Pat of Stuart, Florida, and his sister Linda Isaacs of Yalesville, Connecticut. Rick’s passing was preceded by his brother Jack Isaacs of Washington, D.C. Rick graduated from Cheshire High School in Connecticut. He earned an engineering degree from Worchester Polytechnic Institute in Worchester Mass., and a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of New Haven in New Haven, CT. Rick worked for Sikorsky Aircraft for 33 years beginning as an engineer in 1982 and furthered his career in operations, business, quality, and program management working on the Comanche and Blackhawk helicopter programs. Rick was an expert in the development and implementation of complex major acquisitions with the Department of Defense. He was honored by the Army Aviation Association of America as a Knight of the Honorable Order of St. Michael. After his ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) diagnosis in 2013, Rick shifted his energy to the ALS Association in support of funding research, care services, and government partnerships for people with ALS and their caregivers. Rick joined the ALSA Alabama chapter’s board of trustees and the president’s council advising on national issues. He was an ALS Research Ambassador, where he closely followed global research and served as an educator and advocate in the search for a cure. He traveled to Washington, D.C. three years in a row to meet with legislators to request their support of issues of importance to the ALS community. He frequently spoke at “Living with ALS” groups, conferences, and to any patients or caregivers he met in need of support. One of his final contributions was his “Strategies for Enjoying Life with ALS” video series. Rick enjoyed cooking, cycling, watersports, and spending time with his family and his beloved dog Mango. His motto was “Do what you can while you can, and then when you can’t, do something else!” In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the ALS Association through his Team Rick fundraising page. https://web.alsa.org/site/TR/Walks/Alabama?px=4008193&pg=personal&fr_id=12652#.WVgmCoTysqM The Isaacs family welcomes family and friends to join them in a “Celebration of Life” in Huntsville at a later date. Berryhill Funeral Home will share the date and location once it is determined.
