Rick L Starks

Rick L Starks, aka "Tricky Ricky," left this world suddenly on September 9, 2025,  in Kansas City Ks. Born on July 26, 1959, in Topeka, Kansas, Rick turned the art of masonry and construction into over three decades of a successful career by owning Starks Masonry and Construction, and if building things wasn't enough, he also operated Bar S Cattle Company, because, well, who doesn’t want to diversify into cattle?

Life for Rick was about getting his hands dirty and making sure it was all done right. He grew up working on Leland Bailey’s farm, where he likely picked up a thing or two about hard work (and maybe a few terrible jokes). He honed his masonry skills under the watchful eye of Gene from Rock Creek—good luck finding a bricks-and-mortar debate he wouldn’t win.

For Rick, family grilling was no small affair; it was a well-planned event that brought folks together for food and laughter—a chance to tell and retell the stories of working cattle, which somehow repeated themselves as both adventure and torture over those long days. And let’s not forget his love for the steel horse: Rick adored his 1958 Shovel Head Harley as much as he adored riding his actual horse, affectionately named Shit Head. He had a knack for choosing memorable names, it seems.

His strong-minded personality meant he cared deeply for his livestock and his pets, even giving them names that probably made sense to him after breakfast (because who wouldn't want a pet named Haus?). Even his affection for family was expressed in his own Tricky Ricky way, often leaving a warm glow behind like a campfire—that is, when he wasn’t off riding Harleys through Daytona or Sturgis with his buddies Marvin Griffith Sr. and Keith Simecka, causing mayhem on two wheels.

Rick is survived by his son, James (Falicity) Starks of Delia, KS; sister Penny (Doug) Carlson of Silver Lake, KS; brothers John Starks of Topeka, KS, and Tom Starks of Kansas City, KS; granddaughter Jadyn Garner; Friends Sam Bailey, Linda Bone, Jason Ogden and many nieces and nephews who will surely gather for their own grilling sessions in his honor—and let’s hope someone brings a good story or two.

Rick was preceded in death by his parents Darrel and Charlotte Starks and his partner, Kathlien S Starks. They must be having a wild reunion up there, possibly debating the best ways to mix cattle with masonry.

So here’s to Tricky Ricky, a man who lived life on his own terms, with a grin, a few puns, and the laid-back philosophy that if you can’t do it right, at least do it with style. No doubt he will be missed tremendously—or at least until his next wild story beckons from beyond the grave. Safe travels, Rick. Don’t forget to check in to the nearest grill when you land!

His wishes were for cremation and private burial.