In Memory
Ricardo "Rico" Rios
On August 6, 2018, the PA profession lost one of its great leaders, Ricardo "Rico" Rios, PA, after he lost his long-fought battle with Alzheimer’s dementia. Rico was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and moved to the United States to attend Westminster College in Pennsylvania. He graduated and became a high school science teacher, but his love of learning and medicine drew him to further his education and become a Physician Assistant.
Rico attended and graduated from the PA program at Kettering College in Ohio in the late 1980's. His first job in Ohio was in ophthalmology and he never left that specialty, working for many years at Grand Rapids Ophthalmology. He taught at Western Michigan University in the PA program and also at GVSU as lecturer and clinical coordinator. He was a valued member of the faculty. For those of us that knew Rico, we remember his incredible knowledge of and love for ophthalmology.
Rico was active in the profession, being an involved member of both the AAPA and the MAPA. It was not uncommon to see Rico at MAPA board meetings and regional meetings.
Rico is survived by two sons, Jordan and Lucas, and their mother, Debra Brooks.
Share this spotlight
Return to the listing of in memory.