Obituary of Rick Huffman

Richard (Rick) K. Huffman Jr., also known as Turtle, Professor Chaos and the President down at Headquarters, where he met all his biker friends, passed onto the next realm on Tuesday, May 18^th.  Rick has left behind a slew of family, but he also has a slew of family waiting for him on the other side and he was pretty excited about the reunion.

Rick was a lover of motorcycles; riding and began riding at the age of 10. He would ride his two sisters, Dena and Mitzi, through the apple orchards, one at a time of course, at his grand-mothers house in Botetourt County. He would try to take their heads off with tree limbs, and he would try to throw them off by purposely hitting bumps with the throttle wide open. His younger sister, Ginny, heard of this and had better sense than to ride with him. The girls later came to learn that it was all intentional because he “didn’t want no girls on his bike.”

In Rick’s teen life he was asked to leave good ole Lord Botetourt High School for good after he and “Paul Stump” threw some poor fellow who was “asking for it” down the school steps, in front of the principal’s, Mr. Ward, office.  That is when Rick decided the best thing for him to do was to serve his country.

Rick joined the Army during the Vietnam era in 1972. He obtained his GED and he didn’t have to toss anyone down the stairs to get it. He was stationed in Fort Benning, Georgia, Fort Hood, Texas, Fort Richardson, Alaska and South Korea. Rick told stories of how he would watch North Korea soldiers try to infiltrate South Korea via walking over enemy lines, and through tunnels that the US found, and then had to destroy. Rick said it was pretty comical as he explained, while shaking his head with a smirk on his face, “they had to have known they were going to get their butts kicked.” Afterwards, Rick decided that was about as close to his own potential death he ever wanted be, so he decided that the Army was a great experience, but that he was ready for other adventures and thought he could be all he could be somewhere else.

Rick returned to Botetourt County and worked a few jobs and he had a small stint as a DJ, working parties, and having a few “Swamp Parties” of his own. Then Rick decided to open his own company, “Brick Union Springs”, where he operated a dump truck business hauling dirt and gravel to various locations surrounding the Roanoke area. In Rick’s fleet of trucks, he was always one of the first ones in, and the last one back every day, and as a result most people from that industry know him only as “Turtle”. Rick decided that working for himself was far more than he had thought of. He referred to it as “running an Adult Day Care Center”, and so Rick went on to M. L. Leonard, where he was a gasoline service inspector for various gas stations, gov’t facilities and schools. Rick loved that job and there he found his home. M. L. Leonard eventually partnered with JF Petroleum and Rick was still there when he crossed over to the other side.

Throughout his life Rick continued to ride his motorcycles. Rick was at Sturgis Bike week in September 2020 with many friends and family and there he found his steampunk hat and goggles. When his friend, Danny McDaniel, saw him, he declared him “Professor Chaos” and that name suited his look to a “T”, so Rick’s biker name became just that, “Professor Chaos”.  He loved that name.

Rick was also an artisan, and he made the most unusual bird houses out of different elements he found in nature. Rick worked with clay and made wonderfully realistic replicas of stores, camping sites and beach sites. He would design them down to the finest detail and anyone that received one felt completely honored and humbled. Rick was also a chef, and he made gifts of Vegetable soup, Chicken soup, and Apple Butter he had canned for his family and friends at Christmas, and it left all those lucky enough to get any wanting more and hoping for the next Christmas to get here sooner than later.

Rick wasn’t a drinker, but he loved going to what he and his friend, Pete, called “The Show”. They would go watch people come out of and go into bars and critique “The Show” later. He rode with his friends to varying restaurants for dinner and breakfast and they especially like The North Star Restaurant for breakfast where Pete, Rick’s friend, is a bit of a celebrity. Rick referred to Pete as the Mayor of Buchanan. When riding Rick would listen to Hank Jr., David Allen Coe, George Jones, Chris Stapleton, CCR and Pit Bull! His taste in music was eclectic to say the least.

Rick was a simple, humble man, and he loved his family and friends to no end. Rick had zero tolerance for laziness, dishonesty, disrespect, deceit, or bullying. Rick was fair, kind, loyal and very positive. Rick disliked drama and negativity and he kept his circle of friends extremely small. Rick was a jokester, funny and hilarious. Recently, during one of his hospital stays a male nurse came in with his hair in a bun and wanted to give Rick a sponge bath. Rick was appalled and said “any man that would wear a bitch biscuit on his head is not touching me and he had better stay clear.” He was a man’s man through and through, and he was totally disgusted with our current administration; so much so that he had prepared several “Bug Out” bags, and buried a lot of items throughout the Appalachian Mountains. Rick’s next purchase was to buy a mule because he had realized he would need one to carry all his belongings in order to survive.

Rick loved the ladies and the ladies loved him. He was such a charmer, a romantic, and he never did have a girl on the back of his bike unless she was extra special. So, ladies, if you got a ride on one of Rick’s bikes consider yourself a princess and know you held a special place in his heart.

Rick leaves behind many loving family and friends, his son, Trey, his two grandsons, Braedon and Triton, His sisters and brother-in-law’s, Mitzi and JC and Ginny and Bruce, his younger brother, Jerry, his loyal and good friends, Chris (AKA Kemosabe) and Pete, his co-workers, and his beloved team at work. He enjoyed and respected Mike Leonard the founder and owner, and Meg, his supervisor, and he loved that job. He also leaves nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, many cousins and numerous friends.

The family would like to thank Blue Ridge Cancer Center, especially Jolee, NP and Dr. Kochenderfer. Rick thought the world of Jolee and was always asking someone to call her and see what she thought, or he’d say “Did you talk to Jolee?”, “What did Jolee say?”, “Does Jolee know?”, “Have you called Jolee?” The family would laugh and remind him that Dr. Kochenderfer WAS the doctor, and Rick would nod yes, but we all knew he thought she was the doctor.

Waiting for Rick on the other side so they can love on him, are his grand-parents, mom and dad, his sister, his daughter and his nephew.

Arrangements for Ricks memorial will be announced at a later date and according to HIS wishes. He was a man of few words, but he knew what he wanted. Rick said “I want an old-time friends and family reunion, no fluff or hoity-toity stuff. We’ve been through enough, and I want no mourning, just celebrate my life.” Finally, I know! This is long! But a person like Rick deserves every bit of this and more. Rick ended every phone call and conversation with either 10-4 love you, or just 10-4, depending on who he was talking with. So, until we have his last ride and memorial, 10-4 everybody, and Rick, we will see you on the other side and we can’t wait! We know it will be the best ride yet!