In Loving memory of samantha lynne Penney

Our beautiful boy we miss you more every day, we want to share Ricky’s passions in honor of Overdose Awareness month and to help end the stigma and share one of the beloved faces of substance use disorder. 

Ricky was a beautiful baby not just because I’m his mom but because people would say he’s too pretty to be a boy.

He loved to play with his matchbox cars that his grandfather would bring each visit. 

He loved his little green army men. But most of all he loved his Jammie’s robe blanket and sippy cup while watching Winnie the Pooh.

Ricky loved to read in grammar school he joined a book club. He was involved in many sports but would prefer to be reading.

In middle school he volunteered at MSPCA working mostly with the pit bulls and was asked by MSPCA to be in a video to end the stigma around pit bulls being aggressive dangerous dogs. In the video Ricky is hugging, kissing, and rolling in the grass with these beautiful dogs. No job was too menial for Ricky he did it all from cleaning the cages to walking the dogs. He later became a foster family for pets in need. Of course he adopted two of the cats

Ricky was a history buff and joined a civil war round table in middle school with his Dad they made a specific exception for his age. We still have his library on the Civil War. A family trip to Gettysburg was a dream come true for him.

Ricky made friends easily and loved many like family some friends for his lifetime 

Ricky was in four school plays one being the lead part 

Ricky joined a morning radio show in 6th grade calling in every morning known as Ricky The Paperboy. We had no idea. 

Ricky had a quick wit like no other he could have easily done stand up.

Ricky joined PETA in 9th grade and advocated for animals and against the labs that did testing on them. He once wore a Turkey suit over a highway overpass with a sign that read “go Vegan”. He was vegan for a time.

Ricky adored his Dog Lady, he called her his therapy pet

Ricky took piano lessons; he was an acolyte at church

Ricky was working on writing his life story

Ricky gave the best hugs he would always press his cheek to yours. 

Ricky was loyal to all those he loved

Ricky was a self-proclaimed Mama’s Boy

Ricky as an adult would sit for hours with his Dad watching TV laughing Loud. I mean really loud the two of them… I loved being in bed and hearing them…I’d say thank you God for having this moment 

Ricky loves his brothers he was loyal and truly felt joy when his brothers excelled or as simple as spending time together laughing and hanging together

Ricky talked often about the family trip to Aruba in his twenties with his brothers and all their crazy fun antics together

Ricky was with his Mum and grandmother in Florida during Hurricane Katrina Ricky was our protector 

Ricky got his dream job at Animal Rescue League as an adoption counselor 

Ricky attended UMASS Boston to be a Substance Use Counselor 

Ricky hoped to one day to be a paralegal

As a family we sat together at the kitchen table every night for dinner

We did homework at the dining room table

We built forts

We built bike jumps

We went to Nana and Pa’s every Sunday for family dinner for many years

Ricky and his Nana would spend hours together smoking cigarettes, talking and laughing out loud (3 of his favorite things to do)

We went to Sissy’s at the Cape for years, swimming, fishing, making crab traps out of soda bottles (catch and release of course)

We made seashell necklaces and ornaments

We had popcorn Pepsi parties

We read together every night

We went on family trips with Sissy (Grandmother) several which were Disney

Ricky would jump on our bed throughout his life right up to the day before the world changed just to talk or act silly, Ricky loved to make us laugh

We had our issues like any family

We love each other each fiercely 

We are a loving family that never ever imagined we would end up here. 

We are like you

We are a mother

We are a Father

We are a brother

We are a family that is left to ask why? 

Why our beautiful Ricky?

Why God?

Please Do Your Part to End the Stigma of Substance Use Disorder and please remember our Ricky