Frederick “Rick” Neil Strong

Frederick “Rick” Neil Strong, 62, passed away Nov. 14, 2020, after surgery in Lincoln, Nebraska.  He was born Apr. 8, 1958 at Mountain Home AFB in Idaho to Nancy (Stevens) Strong and Frederick Carroll Strong of East Montpelier, Vermont.

Rick was educated at schools in Bangor, Maine; Goose Air Base, Labrador; and Bellevue, Nebraska. He graduated from Bellevue High School with honors and a Naval ROTC scholarship. As a member of the Boy Scouts of America, he was inducted into the Order of the Arrow while in Labrador.

He married Margaret Sue Gradoville, in Omaha, Nebraska on Dec. 30, 1982. Together they had four children: Sarah, Rebecca, Jacob, and Rachel.

Rick met his life partner, Joni Thomas, in 2015. They committed their lives to each other a year later. Together, they cared for their three cats and two dogs. Rick and Joni attended farmers markets nearly every week and enjoyed creating new plant-based recipes made with whole foods. He loved providing weekly child care to his grandson, Ethan, and was eagerly awaiting his 10th grandchild.

Rick is survived by his life partner, Joni; his father, Frederick; his sister, Nancy Jean (Strong) Barker, and her husband, James; and his nieces, Emma Barker and Hanna (Barker) Mullin. He is also survived by his children and grandchildren: Sarah Strong and her husband Ross Schall, and their son Ethan; Rebecca Strong and her children, Tobias, Magdalena, Eziah, and Katrina; Jacob Strong and his wife Michelle, and their children, Jackson and Jordan; and Rachel (Strong) Mills and her husband Kevin, and their children, Azaylea, Markus, and baby on the way. He was predeceased by his mother, Nancy, in 2014.

He was loved and will be missed.

No service at this time.

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