REST IN PEACE Ricky John Best, 53 years old, one of the two courageous Good Samaritans brutally slain Friday, May 26th, 2017 on a MAX train in Portland Oregon.
Ricky Best, a victim with a life and a family, gone because he cared enough to help
You are my HERO. Dead Victims often don't get to tell their story, you are gone FOREVER.
Your precious meaningful life ended yesterday, defending that which the enemies of freedom, the cherished value of human life are trying to steal from us.
Ricky, you made the ultimate scacrifice in fighting back against hate by protecting innocent human beings, two children, a Muslim and a Black teenager who were strangers to you, being harassed by a cowardly bigot terrorist white supremacist murderer.This animal took away your beautiful life, your dreams, your caring, and so much more that made you get involved to help others by your actions.
Ricky Best was the BEST, a city of Portland employee, Army veteran and onetime candidate for Clackamas County commissioner.
Best, 53 yrs. old, worked as a supervisor for the city Bureau of Development Services, said David Austin, a spokesman for Portland Commissioner Chloe Eudaly.
Best had three teenage sons and a 12-year-old daughter, Austin said.
Best retired from the United States Army as a platoon sergeant for Corps maintenance in 2012 after 23 years in the military. He joined his family in Happy Valley and quickly became frustrated with the county board, in 2014 launching an unsuccessful campaign in which he said he would not accept donations.In January 2015, he began working for the city as a supervisor.
Best grew up in Oregon, mostly in Salem. He met his wife, Myhanh Best, at Portland Community College, and then joined the Army. His family moved to Happy Valley a year ago, and his three sons and one daughter attend school in Happy Valley and Milwaukie. old. .
Ricky Best you have had your life stolen and your famiy has lost their precious father, husband and role model, FOREVER.Your family will mourn your loss until the end of time.You deserved so much better from life. You will be missed by those who had the privilege of knowing you and those of us who simply stand in respect, reverance of your righteous, unselfish bravery.
The world is ugly, our country is a toxic waste dump of hate and what has happened to youhas become normalized as "just more deadly incidents affecting someone else, another victim".
You are not "just someone else", not just a victim.
You are ALL of us who reject hate and I will not forget what has happened to you in giving up your precious life for others who needed help.
You are also ALL of us victims and their families, who will painfully suffer forever the loss of our loved ones whose lives have been stolen from you and us.
Tears for you and much inspiration for what you have done as an American trying to protect our freedom and that of others in this Country.
I grieve for you and your family in selflessly giving up your life so that others may live.
A burial service with military honors for Ricky Best was held at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland on Wednesday,June 5, 2017.
These pictures at the above link speak for themsleves as to how beautiful a human being he was and how much he will be missed by his family.
