Happy 9th Heaven Birthday dear Rick!
I know you were and are dearly loved by so many. You were a wonderful soul here on earth, sharing your joy and positive energy with all who loved you.
Before I learned of your passing, I was trying to look you up, to catch up with you, and let you know how much your friendship meant to me. I wanted to tell you all about my sweet husband, who I lost in 2018. I think the two of you would have really enjoyed knowing one another. Maybe you're together now spreading your love and peaceful energy to all who are missing and eternally loving you.
All my love and prayers to your loved ones,
Christine Alberico White

I can't believe that it's been nine years already.

Sixty-seven is way too young to die, Rick. So wish you were still with us. I think of your smiling face, great humour, and helpful person often when I am in the Meeting House, remembering the times we had building it. Hope you are resting well.

Remembering your warm smile, infectious laughter, genuine heart and peaceful presence. Thank you Rick, for the light you cultivated in your being which forever shines forward.

Happy BE-day, dear Rick! You continue to shine on, in so many ways. Thank you for your forever light.

To all of Rick's friends & family, especially to Janelle,
I just learned of Rick's passing. My heart was saddened by this news, more for all of you than for him. It sounds like he lived such a beautiful, spiritual life that I believe he will continue on through all of eternity in a wonderous light.
I knew Rick in the 1970s. He was always the life of the party & such a special, kind friend to me. Rick, my then boyfriend, Andy Olson & I
lived together for awhile. Rick found the house that we rented, & when the landlord asked him who would be living there, Rick said, " there will be three of us, me, myself, & a friend." We laughed about that for a long time. I will always think of him with his big beautiful smile. Love to all who loved Rick. Christine Alberico White

With you all day today my brother ❤️

As you are now with all of my Mera family❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

My daughter Carmen and I had a toast to Rick on his birthday she knew him since she about 5 - he was a great guy and we were glad to have him be part of our lives

Funny. I knew Rick only a few years but feel like it was a lifetime. Miss our talking walks together.

We think about Rick often. What good soul. Hope you are well, Janelle.
Bill and Ana

Dearest Rick of the most gentle light,
Your warmth and kindness will always permeate our lives.
Thank you for sharing so generously with us and being an example of how to shine. With eternal appreciation, Karen

Dear Rick, I remember you every day - a joke, your laugh, a story, your compassion, a problem, your support. I send big love to Jannelle and to Chris for peace in their hearts and for their own sweet memories of you. Wherever your soul is now, I bless you and keep you in my heart always.

Yesterday Jannelle, Glen and I toasted you, Rick, for your birthday. I'm so glad we were together. You are still so alive in my heart. I expect to feel the ripples of the special love you gave to me and to so many others always.  Miriam

Remembering your big laugh and gentle spirit today, Rick. Thank you.

Thinking of Rick today and sending love to Jannelle and all his far-flung friends who loved him.

Dear Rick, It's your kind gaze, warm smile and open heart that I will always remember and learn from. Thank you for being a compassionate friend and role model for me. Your light still keeps shining, through all of us who knew you.

Rick is indeed , FOREVER missed,forever loved. His wonderful smile lives in our hearts. james &barbi

Forever indeed. He was the kindest man.

Hi Jannelle: Sorry for the delay responding to Rick's anniversary of leaving us to early. Still think of him and wish he was still with us.

Sending you so much love, Jannelle. You are always in my prayers for a peace-filled heart. Rick's big heart envelopes you and holds you in sweet safety, always.

We still have Rick's picture hanging up from the announcement of the memorial in Denver. I can't bring myself to take it down.
Blessings, Jannelle.

Dearest Rick and Jannelle,
Although it's hard for us to believe that two years have passed, I suspect, Jannelle, that at times it's felt like 20 years. Hardly a day goes by without our thinking about you both, sending love and comfort to Jannelle, and smiling to imagine Rick teaching the angels how to love and serve better! Much, much love, Bob and Diane

I spent some time with Rick not long after he'd moved to Monteverde. He told me that, for some time, a top concern of his had been to find a local project into which he could direct his energy. But quite recently, he added, he had decided to shift his approach--instead of looking intently for that project, he was going to let up on the self-pressure and allow things to evolve more naturally, trusting that the right thing would come along. That is the kind of wisdom--infused with kindness for self and others--that Rick consciously practiced.

Dear Rick,
Today I celebrate your life, and the gifts you shared with our mountain town...your gentle presence, kind gaze, brilliant smile, and ability to listen and love. Thank you for continuing to be a light in my life.

One of the sweetest and most kind people I have ever met. I miss him.

In the Fall of 2010 my family arrived, alas, to Monteverde to spend part of a year on sabbatical. We were among the lucky individuals who happened to discover your sangha. Some 13 months have passed now since you passed on. Man, your love and affection for others and your stillness reaches into my life even now. You continue to teach, after you have moved on. I see the pictures of your life and am touched by how you spent your days. Blessings.

Bob and I join with all the many, many friends of Rick to send our appreciation for having known a person who truly was of the light. I believe his purpose on earth was to be of service, to bring joy and laughter to virtually everyone he met, and to be an inspiration for us all of how a life might be lived. And Jannelle, a day doesn't go by without our thinking of you and sending love and comfort. Any plans to visit Colorado?

Miss you Brother Rick. Your light still burns bright for those who knew you. .Would have loved to have seen you again in Denver to watch the Whitewater football championship game. Peace to you Jannelle and family.

I join us all this morning, at sunrise over the Sangre de Cristos in this high mountain valley...the first breath over the peaks is Rick's smile, full of light, and the gathered deer, fox, wild turkey this dawn are the symbols of the far ranging community of innocence and care he created amongst us...with thanksgiving for Rick, you all, the power of memory and love, even flowing down over the constraints of space and time, I dance in the light...

I have had so many dreams about Rick in the past year, and after each one, woke up refreshed and smiling after having so enjoyed spending time with him again.

One year after Rick's death, I am left with this: how wonderful that we all felt so significant in Rick's presence and that we all knew how much he loved us. He made that abundantly clear in his interactions with us. I continue to be so inspired by Rick's life and try to honor him by emulating him.

Thank you, Rick for sharing yourself so fully with us. I'll see you in my dreams! Sending you love, Janelle

Perusing through the pictures of Rick makes me smile and brings up memories of good moments. The calm, the joy, the compassion, the kindness. I can close my eyes and be with him, kayaking through the mangroves or savoring chocolate ice cream, as if it were a forbidden treat. Just a little something sweet.

He was the only person, other than her daughters, to call Mother "Mom" and he spent endless hours holding her hand, and holding space for her in the hospital, when she struggled with pain and delirium.

I love you most, Rick, for being there for my sister, for entering into, and holding dear, a level of relationship that few, in this lifetime, are fortunate enough to encounter. Please continue to watch over her, and be with her in her heart. We love you. -Darlene

I remember Rick as the kindest person I ever met. He seemed to have come into life with the mission of helping even if that meant only a kind word or small gift. For me it was much, much more. Many of us have tried to tried to embody the notion of "Kindness is my religion." For me, Rick is the one person in my life who did it.

The only time I can remember seeing Rick without that smile was when he would pause to ponder a question; then the smile would flash back with the answer.
I'm so glad he and Jannelle found each other.
Love.

I really miss your telephone calls Rick! I'd answer, "I was just thinking of you." And you would reply, "So are you surprised JB."
I could still hear you throughout this past year. So many times your words would bring such a smile and giggle out of me.
I really do miss your uplifting voice; your hugs both upon a welcome as well as our good byes.
All of the tributes bring on such sadness of our loss as well as such tremendous joy for having shared our lives with you Rick.
You were a real rarity Mr. Mera and I am so very, very glad we were so very, very close. Praying for Jannelle and you this day my friend. Love JB

Just a few of the many things I've missed about Rick this year:

His welcome "Hi Kathi" on the phone
His big laugh when I tell him the only time I wear my hiking boots anymore is when I scrape cat hair off the carpet
His unreserved enthusiasm for my new business idea
His gentle warning to "Keep it small, don't take on too much at once like you usually do"
His sound, ongoing business advice
Our wide-ranging conversations, from pets to people to spirituality
The warmth in his voice when he reported on far-flung friends
Hearing about his fabulous trips within Costa Rica and around the world
Hearing how thrilled he was traveling with Jannelle, Chris and Ellen
His huge, capable hands: how he would wring a wine glass right off its stem when drying the dishes (!) and open just about anything; how he evoked dreamy, ethereal music on the keyboard with those two-octave hands; the way he could give a kitty a one-handed full-body massage; how deftly he could remove a hook from a fish's mouth, field a ball, turn a wrench
Watching him delight in Italian food
Watching him delight in just about any kind of food
And beer
His descriptions of great parties he and Jannelle threw
His see-saw diets
His back-and-forth health care decisions
His ever-growing capacity to balance his masculine ambition, drive and productivity with his feminine intuition, creativity and nurturing
His dedication to working out - and asking him to rub my head so I could catch some of that
Hearing him tease, "Am I being Mr. Ambivalent again?" and "Was I annoying the waitress?"
The rapid-fire, efficient, fluid way that he Got Things Done
His ability to totally kick back and enjoy the hell out of doing nothing
His love of hours-long meals with good friends

Just like everyone else, I can't believe it's been a whole year. What a loss.

I am remember Rick the most because he was FUN to be with. Great sense of humor, willing to help out in anyway, appreciative of lousy jokes, puns, sarcastic comments, put downs, and enthusiastic praises. Also a good fixer of all things and a wannabe serious birder. We miss you so much, Rick!

Rick and I had only begun to know each other during one of my stays in Monteverde. But he was a sweet, open-hearted, and generous man and clearly a dear companion to my dear friend Jannelle. His seemingly early passing reminds me that we never know how much time we have left on this earth, so every moment should be appreciated and lived as if it were our last. I know Rick would have agreed with that, and that he lived his life with that kind of awareness. To miss him is both painful and beautiful.

It is an honor to post this tribute about my friend Rick. I thought and prayed throughout the day today about writing this. One thought continued to surface. Rick had the uncanny ability to listen, and this was a great gift. That gift was a true blessing to me during some very challenging times when I needed an ear. He actively listened to me. I could feel him receiving and processing my words, and then he actively empathized with me. If the conversation was good news, he actively celebrated with me. The result of every conversation was that I knew that he really cared about me because he gave of himself in listening and giving time. This is a true gift and a true blessing to have a person like this in your life. I am thankful for him and for Janelle. I just hope that I can learn and model this gift as I go forward in my own life. Blessings!

Dear Rick, I always remember your telling us how you found your work early in life by choosing something which wouldn´t compromise your values. Repairing Volkswagens would be a service to others in need of help with their transportation and you wouldn´t be causing others to suffer with this labor. How I respected that, and you. Your frequent smile was too radiant for you ever to have been a convincing Grinch! But I had no trouble recognizing you as a practitioner of Buddhism. We miss you.

“Knowing Rick as a friend in Monteverde was personal at the same time as a shared friendship with many. In this way we created sangha with Rick as the gentlest of leaders. We came. We went. I will miss him, but he still is with us wherever we go.”

If there will be any peace, it will be through being, not having.

Rick, you helped us all focus on being rather than having.

Rick,
Rick, you lived life as an ideal example for all of us. Loving, caring, empathetic, understanding, passionate, honest, and true to your feelings.
All of us who knew you felt all of these things from you at one time or another. They were in your looks, expressions, your smiles, and sometimes in your tears……. …your total understanding and your complete acceptance. I want you to know that your life was such a true blessing to all of us who are so fortunate to just have known you.
No one knows this better than the truest love of your life….Jannelle. It was always such a joy to me and brought so much happiness when I saw you two together……or whenever you spoke of her to me. All of the love you possess would just radiate and pour over to Jannelle during that most blessed time you both had together. I am so very, very happy for those years you both had here together. It made life complete for you Rick!

Rick, didn’t we always both enjoy the fond reminiscing of our lifelong friendship. I don’t believe I could have been more than 5 or 6 when I would throw pebbles up to your second story bedroom window trying to wake you….”Bicky, come out and play.”    I can’t believe it took me that long to get my “R’s” out!    I am sending this picture of the two of us sitting on your picnic bench back then.
The alleyway behind both our homes was our playground. We used to love to hide “very important things” in the small drain pipes coming out of the neighbors retaining walls. 
It was so very cool to ride our bikes up & down that alley, and in & out of the only two walkways that lead from the alley into the neighbors’ driveways, and then out to the street in front of their homes. That walk way was so narrow, we thought we had to be the best bicycle riders to navigate them at such top speeds.
Then there was the infamous “Daredevils Club”. Of course, you and I were the only two members! I recall that some of our stunts did cause our mothers, Marion & Julia, to come to our rescue. My winning stunt did bring my mother to my rescue that day!
Of course, you took that Dare Devil Medal back not too many years ago at the ripe age of ‘60 something’ when I heard of your great bungee jump off of a plank in some faraway jungle!! Talk about a very trusting guy – you had it all brother.
Then there was the time my father Curly, took your dad, Al, along with you and me to his Swedish Club in Rockford. Of course, everyone introduced themselves as Mr. Johnson, Mr. Olson, Mr. Anderson……You just smiled and replied “Glad to meet you, I’m Rick Merason!” Yep - You really did!!! They’d just smile, nod and seemingly never paid any attention to neither that name nor that outstanding Sicilian complexion of yours!!
I recall the great visits to Denver. I especially have fond memories of our great ski trip to Vail, , Aspen, and Snowmass. Our private ski lesson allowed me to almost keep up with you. Then at the end, we relaxed in the sulfur pool at Glenwood Springs. See the picture I included.
We know your love of food and what a great cook you’ve been. Debra and I especially remember enjoying your Denver home and the absolutely outstanding Tuna Steak you grilled for us. You taught us the very best technique that I still try my best to duplicate while reminiscing of that evening together.

Good Lord, all I remember for the most part is all the fun and enjoyment we had together. Of course, we shared all the heartaches & sorrows that life seems to bring as well. We always knew in our individual journeys through life that we were both just a telephone call a way…….no matter what!
Well brother, I am so glad for you and your life….yes I say brother because we know we were much more than just lifelong friends. .   .  . Say, do you remember when we were maybe 8 years old in that same alleyway. We pricked our fingers, drew blood, put them together, and bonded to be blood brothers forever.
So Rick, I really miss you and our times together. But, I know you are with me now this day…just as you are and always will be with Janelle, her family, and Chris, your dearest brother, as well as your worldwide friends. Yes, you will be with us forever and ever. I do love you so very much Rick Mera. May God bless you and Jannelle on this very special day.

Rick was a great man and fraternity brother. I am so glad that we got to renew our friendship at our Warhawk football gatherings. He went way too soon. I am sorry I will be in Wisconsin next week and will miss his potluck and not get to meet you Jannelle and Chris. May your many memories comfort you both.

Buddha affirms all people are worthy of the utmost respect.
Scripture reminds us to be devoted to one another in brotherly love, to honor one another above ourselves and that everything can be summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself"
None of us know when we will be called home. Buddha affirms it is better to live a single day with honor than to live to 120 and die in disgrace.
Rick did not leave this world in disgrace.
Again Buddha says teach this triple truth to all: a generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are things which renew humanity.
We pray we are all renew by Rick's memory and legacy, that of a generous heart, kind speech and compassion.
God Bless you brother Rick, Rest in Peace

Bob (howie) Howe - the other Bob Howe

You have all been so eloquent with your memories of Rick, that I find myself quite at a loss for words. Rick became part of my life when I met Nancy Tyler, Rick's right-hand-girl at Boltswagon on Santa Fe. Later, I took my old VW to him religiously. No one else was to lay a hand on it for fear it would fall to pieces. I wound up living with Nancy for many years, and so became closer to Rick as our lives wound on. He was at my house the last time he was in Denver, going through somewhat of a crisis as to whether or not he should leave his dear mother's dishes with me to sell in my shop. He wound up leaving them, and now I would like to return them to his loving wife or donate them to a women's shelter. Rick Mera was one of a kind, and I'll miss him every day for the rest of my life. His molecular structure is somewhere having a quiet moment with a glass of wine and a kind thought for those of us he left behind.

James and I ,as well as our boys, were so saddened to learn of Ricks passing. His warm smile and gentle kindness were true reflections of his compassion and love for those around him. He was greatly loved and will be so greatly missed.We treasure the many warm and wonderful memories of times spent together over the years of friendship we shared.Our prayers are with his friends and family.

I grew up with Rick as he was my Cousin and our Dads were brothers. Spent many Christmas Eves at Ricks with his brothers and wonderful parents Uncle Al and Aunt Marian. I take some consolation in having been able to tell him how happy I was for him with Jannelle and new life in Costa Rica....having seen him recently in late Feb. This year. Though time was short that day, we were able to share some great memories from a Galaxy far far away. I truly hope one day I can share a smile and some stories with him again. My sincere condolences to his dear Brother Chris and Jannelle.  Time is never long enough.

I find it pleasant remembering Rick because he was such a pleasant guy even when he was grumping about something. I got a kick when he would talk to animals especially the times he pulled up beside some horse and started having a heart to heart with it.

Rick is a man I "know" only through those whom he loved and those who loved him; to leave such a legacy woven of light, joyous memory, tales being retold with wondrous laughter, and the graceful peace of the shining community of heart-souls who remain in the realm he touched...here words stop, and life itself just flows. Thank you, Rick.

Rick was an extraordinary man. He was deeply spiritual in a quiet humble way, he loved helping people and used his many talents to do so in many ways. His big heart shone through the light in his eyes and in his smile. This quote makes me think of Rick: "We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves." This joyful, gentle soul clearly had pure thoughts. Sweet memories will stay with us forever as his soul and his light move forward to embrace new adventures.