Obituary of Rick Row

We lost our Dad, Richard Ray Row, on March 15th , 2023 after a long, hard battle with metastatic prostate cancer. He was 73. He was born in Arkansas and moved to Texas, where he lived for the most part until he moved to Southern California in 1964. After more than a few moves, he lived the majority of his life in California and Minnesota, near his children. He always joked that he was a gypsy soul and could not spend too much time in one place. He is survived by his children, Ron Row, Stacey Row Higdon, Jessica (Jake) Ellanson; his grandchildren, Grant and Abigail Higdon; his sisters, Teri Tolbert and Sue Thayer; his nieces and nephews, Alissa (Brian) Crow, Jason (Sarah) Tolbert, Michael (Jenna) Jones and their children Austin and Nevan Crow, Rachel, Mary Catherine, Elizabeth, and Edith Tolbert; David Jones; and his cousin Debbie (John) Larsen.

A lasting memory will always be him trying to convince everyone, every year, it was going to be “the Cowboy’s year.” If you knew our dad, you knew of his unwavering love for the Cowboys (except that one year they happened to win the Superbowl). He had fierce determination, a hard work ethic, and a witty sense of humor that made everyone laugh. He loved bowling, go-karts, old cars, fishing, movies with a side of popcorn, soda and Red Vines, any kind of game (to which he would never let you win), good food, especially Red Lobster, and most of all, his family.

Dad was a route man most of his working life and rarely met a stranger. He always knew what mattered most to the people he met along the way, and you better believe they knew what mattered most to him. Dad’s passing has left profound sadness in the hearts of those who knew and loved him. Although he will be deeply missed by many, we take comfort in knowing that he is no longer in pain and we are left with him watching over all of us. We also take comfort in knowing he is now with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Rest in peace, Dad. Your life story will be forever remembered and cherished by those you touched and loved so dearly. Love you always.

A memorial service for our beloved dad will be held on April 3rd, 2023 at 10:00 in the morning at St. Edward the Confessor Church, located at 865 N Ferndale Rd, Wayzata, MN 55391.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Rick’s name to one of the following causes that are near and dear to our hearts:

• Park Nicollet Hospice (Choose home care fund under drop down menu). This is the Hospice we used in his last weeks of life. They gave us so much comfort and made sure he was comfortable in his final time here on Earth.
  • https://www.healthpartners.com/care/specialty/hospice/donate-form/
• American Cancer Society: The mission of the American Cancer Society is to improve the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.
  • https://donate.cancer.org/?campaign