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Richard (Ricky) Scott Schumann

It all started on June 3, 1986 at 9:35 am, when a beautiful bright eyed 5 lbs. 4 oz. baby boy was born. Ricky was born 2 months early and surprised all the doctors. They thought that he was going to be 3 lbs., but he fooled them all. Ricky was a sweet little baby never crying for anything. I remember one day he was playing with his sister and got hit in the head, splitting it open. Ricky came to me and said, "Mommy, I got a boo-boo."

I rushed him to the hospital and the doctors and nurses were so surprised that he didn't cry. He received 4 stitches and went home and started playing like nothing ever happened. Ricky loved the game of football. He played as a young boy and was also very into Taekwondo. He became a black belt in one year. He loved the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Yankees. Each year, I would get him tickets to see the Eagles play.

Ricky was a loving boy. He was the life of a party. He made you laugh even if you didn't want to. He had a special touch that made people feel loved. Like you knew him all your life. Ricky had such a wonderful smile that lit up the room. He would tell you jokes that would have you rolling on the floor. He was very generous, dependable, loving, caring and his heart was so big. He would do anything to help other people out.

I remember when he used to volunteer at my day care center and we were walking down the street and we saw this homeless man, he said, "Mommy can we go back to the center and make him something to eat and bring it to him?"  I started to cry. He made the man some sandwiches and went into the store to get him something to drink. The man said, "God Bless you, young boy."

Ricky was so good with the children, too. He wanted to become a teacher. He had a love for children and they loved him too. He used to be an assistant teacher in a before and after school program. The parents loved him and said how their children would always ask where he was when he moved backed to Florida.

Ricky always was a very thoughtful young man. He loved hanging with his friends and his sister. He started using drugs at the young age 13 - smoking pot, and then he started hanging out with kids who did other drugs. At the age of 17, Ricky had a heart attack from using cocaine. At this time, we had no idea he was even doing drugs until he told us in the emergency room that he tried cocaine. We sent him to rehab and before long, he was in and out of more then 15 rehabs.

When he was in Florida, Ricky stayed clean. But when he came back to New Jersey, he would start using again. While in rehab, Ricky met a young girl and they started dating. A year later, he had a wonderful son named Chase. Ricky loved Chase more then anything on this earth. Ricky was in and out of court trying to get visitation to his son. This took a toll on all of us, but mainly on him. He would go to Maryland each week to see his son for 2 hours.

This was so hard for him not to be with his son. Ricky started using again and lost visitation to his son and he became very depressed. He went back to Florida and rehab, then moved to Tennessee to live with his cousin.

On February 19^th 2010, Ricky came back to New Jersey. He was supposed to go to the cabin in the mountains with me, but he wanted to stay and visit his friends and other family he hadn't seen in awhile. Then I got a call from my daughter telling me her brother wouldn't open the door so she could get her clothes for work. So, I told her to wait. I was around the corner and should be there soon.

Well, I broke into the room and found Ricky sitting up dead. He was purple and there was blood coming from his mouth and nose. He was just sitting there like he was a asleep. My daughter and I just started screaming and couldn't believe that this was happening to us.Till this day, I can see that vision over and over again when I close my eyes. I still can't believe he is dead.

There is nothing in this world that can make the feeling of losing a child go away. There is nothing that can make it better. I always think to myself. WHY ME!!! What did I do so wrong that this happened, what did Ricky do so wrong that his life had to be taken at such a young age. Ricky was 23 years old when he died. I wrote a poem for my son and also would love you to see what a wonderful boy he was, please view the materials on this page.

WE ALL LOVE AND MISS YOU RICKY! TILL WE ARE TOGETHER AGAIN, R.I.P. YOU ARE THE ANGEL THAT LOOKS OVER US!!!

Ricky

Ricky was not just my cousin - he was my best friend and my role model. I grew up with Ricky ever since I was little. I always looked at Ricky and said "I want to be just like you". Ricky was the light of my day. Whenever he was around there was no being sad or mad - it was always happy times, he always found a way to make you laugh no matter what the situation was.

The day I got that call that my cousin had passed away, I fell to the floor and felt just emptiness. All I could think was, just a week ago he was at my house and I talked to him over the phone. I had told him, 'I'll see you when I get home, Cuzzo". When I was little, I remember Ricky always used to tell me I was going to grow up to be a wonderful person. I have grown since Ricky has passed on and became an angel. I came to realize there is nothing in this world to heal the feeling of loosing someone you care so much about. I just think of all the good times we had and think he is still watching over me. I may not be able to see him, hear him, or even feel him, but I know no matter what he is always around.

I had a baby on February 17, 2011; it was just 4 days before my cousin's 1 year anniversary of passing away. When I saw my son, I thought how much I wished he had been able to meet his wonderful cousin Ricky, and how much Ricky would have adored him.

I also remember my 18th birthday. Ricky made the party a party, he was known for that. Ricky loved his mother, father, sister, and niece very much, but the one person he adored most was his son, Chase. When he used to talk about Chase, he would get this big smile on his face and tell me that being a parent is the best feeling in the world. Now I see what Ricky was talking about. Ricky's death has made me realize: Live every day as if it's your last and treat everybody in your life as if it's their last because you just never know if tomorrow is ever promised.

Loving Cousin, 
 

Julie Lopez

Dear Ricky,

I can't believe how long it’s been since I’ve seen your face or heard your voice, it feels like just yesterday we were laughing about those silly little things we would joke about. Not a day goes by that I don't think about you, and I can still remember what you sound like when I close my eyes and think about how you used to say "Nik or Bella" - that still makes me smile all the time. We had a lot of wonderful times together, ones that I will forever cherish in my heart. Sometimes I find myself thinking about something funny that you'd say and I actually laugh out loud, and for a minute I forget that you’re gone, although you will always be with me. It's hard to accept that you've passed. Sometimes when I look at pictures of us, I can literally relive every moment that we had together because you were such a lively and outgoing person. I can still vividly recall every second of last New Years and how much fun we had together. I want you to know that I’m still close with your mom and that we talk about you often, and although it’s hard, we can rejoice about what joy you brought to so many people. You changed my life in so many ways that I could never thank you enough for. I want you to know how much I love you, and I know you knew I always did. So until death, I will always remember the happiness and love you brought to me, and that is something that I will never let go of. Even though you can't physically be with me right now, I know one day we will laugh and joke around with each other again, and I hope and pray that you will save a spot for me right next to you. I love you more than I could ever explain in this letter, but we always knew what we meant to one another. You will forever be my best friend and my soul mate.

I love you & miss you so much.

Your Nikki