The Ypsilanti Courier
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Tribute is paid to a real hometown hero
By Cindy C. King, Supervisor of Van Buren Township
PUBLISHED: June 14, 2007
Ricky Alan LaPensee is indeed a hero. Someone whose dedication to helping others is beyond compare. Rick made the ultimate sacrifice in his untiring efforts to help those in need.
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He deserves our gratitude and respect.
As many people have heard, Rick LaPensee served as an organ transplant specialist with the University of Michigan. On June 4, his heroic efforts were cut short when a medical flight plane in which he was riding crashed into the waters of Lake Michigan.
Rick LaPensee served as a longtime fire fighter with the City of Ypsilanti Fire Department. Rick spent 20 years providing emergency services to the Charter Township of Van Buren, as a lifeguard at Van Buren Park and as a paid-call fire fighter. For 20 years, Rick would answer the call for help.
Rick leaves behind Claudia, his wife of 23 years, and his two young sons.
While at Van Buren, he would come home from his "regular" job, the one that paid the bills, and then commit his "free time" to answer calls for help from those who often take the work of our paid call firefighters for granted.
He would leave a warm bed and respond on icy winter's night when the alarm sounded. He willingly sacrificed time with family and friends to respond to emergency situations; he would give up weekends of "R and R" to engage in training necessary to provide the high quality emergency service we expect from those in his profession.
Rick commenced his firefighting career in Van Buren in August of 1978. In 1983, he was promoted to Lieutenant at Fire Station No. 1. Lt. LaPensee was promoted to captain in 1996. During this time, Rick commenced his full-time, career firefighter position with Ypsilanti while continuing to serve as a paid-call fire fighter in Van Buren. After resigning from Van Buren Fire Department in 1998, he continued helping others and furthering his education toward becoming a nurse.
Rick's training and education is expansive and includes college degrees, EMT certification, training in arson investigations, hazardous materials handling, and training as a fire officer.
As a dedicated professional, Rick also volunteered his time serving for three years on the township's Public Safety Committee. At the time he resigned, he told me he felt he could no longer give the committee the attention it deserved and felt the community and committee needed those who could devote the time needed.
A Belleville High School graduate and longtime Van Buren Township resident, Rick leaves us to cherish his memory and mourn his passing his family, his extended fire family, many friends and all of us who rely upon heroes such as Rick in our time of need.
He will be missed and never forgotten.
In order to donate to the Rick LaPensee fund, established by Ypsilanti firefighters, send a check to any Bank of Ann Arbor branch for the "Rick LaPensee Memorial" on the memo line. For more information, call the fire department at 482-9778.
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