Rick Moreno, 61, died suddenly and unexpectedly on February 23, 2018.

He was born in London, England on May 8, 1956, to British native June Pelham and Harold M. Moreno, a U. S. Air Force photographer. From the age of three Rick was raised by his maternal grandparents, who ran a tobacco shop in London. He came to the United States as a ten-year-old, living with his father in California and later the New England region. There he learned carpentry. Rick later lived with his mother in Dover, Delaware, where he worked as a finish carpenter on new construction at the Delaware beaches.

Rick met his future wife, Jacqui Ramsey, in 2001. They moved from Delaware to New Mexico in 2008. In Silver City he advertised himself as the "Yankee Carpenter," and his exacting craftsmanship was soon appreciated. His work became part of many historic buildings in the area, including the Isaac Cohen House, Lyons Lodge, and the LC Ranch Headquarters at Gila. He was especially proud of his work installing pictorial tiles in the bases supporting Silver City's gateway arch on Broadway. This was his first tile-setting job, and it led to many referrals by Syzygy Tileworks as the area's "go-to" tile setter. One of his largest projects was the installation of bathroom tiles during major renovation of the Murray Hotel in downtown Silver City.

In 2014 Rick went to truck driving school and became a long-haul trucker, traveling coast to coast hauling everything from pickles to kitchen cabinets. He sent home a steady stream of photos of the scenery from his travels and enjoyed exploring, visiting museums, and meeting locals at the places he stopped for 34-hour resets.

When not on the road he lavished care on his 1964 T-bird, taking the "she-devil car" to car shows around the Southwest and winning some trophies. He made multiple trips to the Rat City Ruckus in Las Vegas, Nevada, and made many friends among the Rat Rod community. Rick was also a dedicated and much appreciated volunteer with the Tour of the Gila and Signal Peak Challenge bicycle races for a number of years.

Rick was returning from a run to Wyoming on February 23 when taken ill near the Colorado-New Mexico line. He safely parked the truck he had been driving and called for emergency help. He was transported to Alta Vista Hospital in Las Vegas, New Mexico, where he died. His final act of generosity was in serving as an organ donor.

Rick is survived by his wife, Jacqui Moreno, of Silver City; his mother, June Rynders, of Cohocton, New York; and his beloved cat, Cha-Cha. He will also be deeply missed by a host of friends and associates from all around the country. A celebration of his life will be held at a future date.

Cremation has taken place at Terrazas Crematory.

Arrangements are with Terrazas Funeral Chapels and Crematory "Trusted care for the ones you love" ~ 575-537-0777.

To send condolences, visit www.terrazasfuneralchapel.com.