James "Jimmy" Ricks, 53, of Centre Hall, was called home on Monday, Nov. 1, 2010.
He was born at "City Hospital" in Baltimore, Md., on Sept. 6, 1957. He was the second son of Eleanor Ricks and the elder of identical twins. He preceded his brother William Jerard by five minutes. Jimmy grew up in Hackensack, N.J., where he attended the Hackensack Public Schools. He joined the U.S. Army at the age of 17 and was honorably discharged two years later in 1976. In 1983, he relocated to State College, where he worked as a tree surgeon for several years before moving back to Hackensack. In 1997, he moved to Pennsylvania once again, this time settling down in Connellsville, where he worked for Sony. After several years, Jimmy moved to Centre Hall.
He leaved behind two daughters, Monique Crews, of Virginia Beach, Va., and Jimia Travis, of Paulsboro, N.J.; a grandson, Jordan Travis, of Hackensack; his mother Eleanor Ricks, of Centre Hall; his twin brother, William "Jerry" Ricks, of Hackensack; two sisters, Angel Woodley and her husband, Desmond, of Park Ridge, N.J. and Ethel Williams, of Birmingham, Ala.; two aunts, Mamie Ricks, of Hackensack and Virginia Ricks, of Connellsville; nieces, Jacqueline N. Ricks, of Jersey City, N.J., Monisha Pettway, of Alabama, Nicole Mise, of Trenton, N.J., Taryn and Shadaya Woodley, of Park Ridge; nephews Edward Jones, of Englewood, N.J., Anton Pettway, of Garfield, N.J., William and Warren Muse, of Trenton; first cousins Terry and Brenda Ricks, of State College, Jacqueline L. Ricks of Englewood, Cheryl and Norman Ricks and Joann Mickers, all of Connellsville; special friends Betsy, Will and Debbie Rivera and Jean-Paul Nuytten, of Centre Hall, and a host of other loving family and friends. He was preceded in death by his brother, Edward Ruben Ricks in Dec. 1989.
Friends will be received from 2-4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 5, 2010, at Koch Funeral Home, 2401 S. Atherton St., State College. His funeral service will follow at 4 p.m.