If you received a hand-written thank you note from Project Chacocente in the past couple of years, there’s a good chance it was signed by Chacocente Board of Directors member Rick Steele. Sadly, Rick passed away on Sept. 3 at the age of 54. He will be deeply mourned by friends and family, and most certainly by those who worked with him on the Project.
Prior to a medical leave of absence for a spinal cord disability, Rick worked as a registered nurse in Southern California. For several years, he specialized in hospital critical care, and later served as Director of Managed Care at Blue Cross of California.
Recently, Rick devoted his time to serving on the Community Advisory Board of his local PBS affiliate, and helping to develop the newly founded National Organization for Nurses With Disabilities.
As an active member of the Project Chacocente Board of Directors, Rick volunteered to hand-write a thank you note for each and every donation to the Project. His love and devotion for the people of Nicaragua prompted his family to designate Chacocente as the charity to which donations could be made in his memory. Rick’s cheerful voice and thoughtful ideas will dearly missed by the members of the Board of Directors. We celebrate his life, and rejoice that he rests peacefully in the hand of God!