Adam Wayne Ricke

Adam Wayne Ricke passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, September 20, 2020 in Wellington, Kansas at the age of 34. He was born the son of Harry and Vickie (Bartlow) Ricke on August 12, 1986 in Wellington. Adam was the youngest of three children and the only boy. He graduated from Wellington High School in the Class of 2004, attended K-State and then went on to graduate from Wichita State University. Adam then worked as a credit analyst at Meritrust Credit Union in Wichita. On December 14, 2018, Adam and Jessica Yunker were united in marriage in Wellington, Kansas and on March 3, 2020 they welcomed their daughter, Claire Suzanne into the world. As a young child, Adam was adored by his two older sisters Kelsi & Karissa. They thought the world of their baby brother. They carried him around and always played games with him. His favorite games were Sumo Wrestler and locking them in the house while holding them hostage inside with the garden hose. His love for reading was developed at a very young age. He would often spend Saturdays with his mom & sisters at the mall...reading a book outside the store. He gained two brothers when his sisters got married. Greg was a role model and someone he looked up to and respected, and Gary was more than a brother, he was a best friend. He will forever be Gary's favorite golf partner. The family of five took several trips to Dallas on holidays, all across the United States for Bartlow Family Reunions and more recently to visit Grandma & Grandpa Bartlow in Colorado. He shared lots of special memories with his Bartlow cousins, including going on the field at the Dallas Cowboys football game during Keith Urban's Halftime Performance. Adam was the self-proclaimed "Prince Ricke" being the first born son of the first born son. His cousins and aunts & uncles held a special place in his heart. He loved Christmas Eve with the Ricke's at Grandma Clara's and playing rounds of golf with all of his uncles. He loved being a Ricke. He was the ultimate uncle to his nieces & nephews. He loved to take them to the movies and play games. Even though he was in college, he made sure to be at all of their births. He teased them endlessly and they just adored him. His parents instilled wonderful family traditions and made so many memories. His dad shared his love of golf with Adam and had him on the course before he was even one year old. They played in many tournaments together and Adam finally beat his all time low score a few years ago. He couldn't wait to call and tell him, as they often did after each golf round. Adam was also a Momma's boy and their bond grew stronger these past few months with Claire. She would do anything and everything for her boy. Adam had several hobbies, including reading, bowling, golf, cheering on the K-State Wildcats and the Dallas Cowboys. His passion for golf far exceeded just a hobby. He looked forward to playing Tuesday night golf and Big Game on Saturdays & Sundays. He was the first to call to join teams for tournaments. He won the 2016 Catbackers Golf Tournament which sent him on an airplane for the first time to Pinehurst Golf Course in North Carolina. He proudly showed off all of his "Pinehurst Swag" all over the house. He also lived out a golf dream with brother in law Gary for his 40th birthday, playing at TPC Sawgrass in Jacksonville, FL. He was looking forward to taking Gary to Pebble Beach Golf Course on his 50th. He took more pictures of golf courses on his phone than he did with his wife. Even though he was only with Meritrust for three years, he thrived as a Senior Credit Analyst. He was fortunate enough to take many business trips and to the Lending School in Madison, Wisconsin for two years in a row. He was so proud of himself for finishing the test first with a perfect score. He was always competitive and loved winning, two traits he picked up from his Dad. Adam & Jessica were so excited to get married that they did it twice. They had a private ceremony at the Courthouse and then had a wedding & reception a few months later. Their friendship over the years grew into the best kind of love between two people. They made the most out of their few short years together, taking trips and going to the movies. He taught Jessica about all things Star Wars and Avengers, two things she never planned to learn. He made her laugh more than anyone in the world. As much as he loved golf, it merely became second fiddle when his daughter Claire Suzanne was born. The day the gender was revealed, sitting at a stop light in Wichita, he said "What do you think about the name Claire?" It was the perfect name for their girl. Her entrance into this world was not as expected, but their love & bond grew stronger than ever. Jessica often joked about "Hospital Adam" and how much he did for her during this scary time of their life. Claire would smile ear to ear every time her Daddy walked into the room. Most times he didn't even speak and she would just light up. She was a Daddy's girl from Day 1 and he will be in her heart forever. Survivors include his wife, Jessica Yunker Ricke and daughter, Claire Suzanne Ricke; parents, Harry and Vickie Ricke; sister, Kelsi Hinshaw and husband Greg; sister, Karissa Richmond and husband Gary all of Wellington, KS; grandparents, Wayne and Marilyn Bartlow of Buena Vista, CO, nieces and nephews: Banks Hinshaw, Addison Hinshaw, Kasiah Richmond and Sawyer Richmond; dear friend and brother, Chris Murphy along with numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, SJ and Clara Ricke. A visitation will be held at the funeral home 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 24, 2020 with the family present from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Please adhere to the current public gathering guidelines. Facemasks will be requested. A memorial service for Adam will be held at 3:00 p.m., Friday, September 25, 2020 at the pavilion of the Wellington Golf Club, 1500 West Harvey, Wellington, KS. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established for Adam and Jessica's daughter. Please make contributions to the Ricke Memorial Fund, c/o Impact Bank, 206 East Harvey, Wellington, KS 67152. Contributions can be mailed, left at the funeral home or made online at his tribute page on www.cornejofuneralhome.com. Share a memory, leave condolences or sign his digital tribute wall at www.cornejofuneralhome.com. Arrangements by Cornejo Funeral Home and Crematory, Wellington, Kansas.