Sometimes You Need An Amazing Friend-Part III

If you follow our blog, you have met some amazing people. Tom Reichard, the research physicist; Joanne Reilley, the seasoned fitness instructor; Lloyd (Bud) Schultz, the aeronautical engineer and Marlowe Meyers, the teacher/seamstress are a few of the super seniors. It is an honor to introduce them to you. We hope you will come meet them in person!

This week we introduce William (Bill) and Doris Rickard, a couple who exemplify extraordinary. They have been married 56 years, raised children of their own and nurtured countless they are happy to call their “kids”.  Theirs is a long and eventful history, worthy of telling.

Doris was born 80 years ago here in St. Louis and grew up Overland and Sycamore Hills. At age 7, her Brownie Troop took an ice skating field trip for people who had their own skates only. She had a dream to skate but she didn’t have skates. Doris borrowed skates from a friend down the street-Hockey Skates That Were TOO Big! She didn’t care as long as she got to skate. After one skate, she was hooked. She convinced her dad to take her to the frozen lakes at Forest Park each winter. She just couldn’t get enough of SKATING!

At 10, Doris started skating at the old WinterGarden ice rink. Coach Shirley Rutland noticed Doris’ skill and asked her to be in the Skating Show. There began her growing passion for ice skating and life-long career. Taking 15-minute lessons that she often paid for herself, watching every coach she could, as often as she could skate, Doris progressed quickly. During high school, she joined St. Louis Skating Club. After graduation, she began skating up to 48 hours a week.

Then William (Bill) Rickard entered the picture…

Born in Sikeston, Missouri, 85 years ago, Bill moved to La Cresenta, California when his father took a job there. When World War II began, Bill was in his teens. At 17, he joined the Coast Guard to become a Radar operator and technician. His father was a tank commander so both were stationed on the west coast waiting for the invasion of Japan…that never came. After the war, Bill attended Washington University graduation with honors in Business Administration.

In 1956, Doris’ brother married Bill’s sister, with Bill & Doris in the wedding. Bill’s sister insisted that Doris have a date with Bill, no excuses! Bill started going to watch Doris skate. Then Bill started to skate. Bill said he would become a USFS test judge, then they should get married and travel the world. Doris popped up to say, “We should get married and then you can get your judging credentials.” So nine months after their first date, they were married! Bill then became a USFS judge. He judged for 25 years – the marriage, 56 years young is still going strong.

Bill went to work for St. Charles Tool & Die Company then proceeded to purchase the company. He was given a government grant to move the company to Steelville, Illinois. The closest ice rink was in Murphysboro, Illinois, where Doris taught skating classes free of charge so she could keep her amateur status.

When they returned to St. Louis, she began to teach for pay. That lasted until the 1980’s. Early in the ‘80s, a group of children with special needs came to a public skating session. The children were so excited, so full of wonder. This ignited a vision in Bill and Doris and Bill’s sister Anne to facilitate skating for children with physical or mental disabilities. So began the Rainbow Skaters Group. 

Anne rounded up skates of every size and style, Doris collected skating dresses, tights, young men’s skating costumes. Bill modified skates to meet the needs of each individual, built lift shoes, adjusted blades, anything! These three angels were never paid a dime for giving lessons, providing travel cost to competitions (even all the way to Canada), purchasing skates and costumes,  spending hours of practice time with the “kids”, or offering assistance to the parents. The amazing legacy of this group: Doris said that though it could be tough and she could be tough with them, they always knew how much she and Bill loved them. And-they always won at competitions.

Bill and Doris retired from Rainbow Skaters in 2003.

Bill retired from skating in 2011 because of health. He still comes to Coffee Club to support Doris  & friends.

Come join Bill for conversation or Doris for some skating. She is has never lost the passion to help.