Richard "Rick" Cyril Stupka

Richard Cyril Stupka (“Rick,” as he preferred to be called), was born the first of a set of fraternal twins (Robin Gail) on October 25, 1948. He was raised one of four children (Ronald and Marilynn) on the south side of Chicago to parents Cyril A. and Edith V. Stupka. He attended Catholic School for twelve years and his high school was Mount Carmel, one of the foremost schools in the United States. He attended Northern Illinois University for his B.S. in Biology (Chemistry) and M.S. in Vertebrate Ecology.

In high school he demonstrated an aptitude for science and history, particularly biology and North American history. In his junior year, he received a First Outstanding for his project, “The Mechanics of Rocketry,” plus a special award from the Air Force. This was followed by a second-place award in the state science fair in Champaign, Illinois in 1965.

University marked several other achievements and awards. In 1970, he chaired the First Environmental Teach-In Committee at his university. He received both undergraduate and graduate fellowships from the biology department of NIU. In 1972, he was granted project directorship of a grant from the National Science Foundation to study “the behavior and effects of pollution on a terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem in the Upper Great Lake region.” He accomplished his own graduate work while supervising thirteen students in their work.

He worked his way through school and did some consulting after graduating. In 1975, he joined Argonne National Laboratory and worked there until moving to Washington State to work at the Hanford Reservation in Safety Analysis, Environmental Studies, and Radioactive & Mixed Waste Management. These three disciplines would form the basis of his work for the rest of his career.

In 1988, Rick’s first son Jacob (“Jake”) was born. After eleven years in Washington State, he and his family moved to Denver, and he began his work at Rocky Flats. In 1991, he welcomed his second son, Dylan. Through colleagues and close friends there, he began work for the International Atomic Energy Agency and worked in Africa and the Middle East instructing engineers from many countries on nuclear energy, waste management, quality assurance, and the use of nuclear energy in power, medicine, and industry. The countries he taught in include Austria, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, Ghana, and the Congo. He received a citation in “Who’s Who in Science and Engineering (1982)” and “Who’s Who in the World (1993)” for this work in developing countries.

In 1996, when work abruptly ceased at Rocky Flats, he was invited to speak at Los Alamos National Laboratory and subsequently received a job invitation to certify waste for shipment to the waste isolation pilot plant (WIPP).

Rick was also a volunteer who provided significant services to whatever community he resided in. In Washington State, he served as a member of the Columbia Basin Dive Rescue

Team for three years, stopping only when he moved to Colorado. In Colorado, he helped coach the local youth hockey team and in Los Alamos, he coached a little but refereed youth hockey for ten years until an injury prevented him from continuing. He was also a Scout Leader for Troop 129 of the Boy Scouts of America for 22 years and helped both of his sons reach the rank of Eagle Scout. He was a member of the county Parks and Recreation Board, helping to improve county facilities, including the golf course, ice rink, parks, and swimming facilities. He took pride in raising labradors and training them for duck retrieval and sharing his ornithological knowledge.

In his later years, Rick spent time on home improvements and restoring a 1958 Edsel Pacer. His plans to travel were interrupted by a string of health issues but he found ways to stay busy and engaged, passing the time with his cat Rudy and dog Ginger, his constant companions.

Rick is preceded in death by his mother Edith and his father Cyril. Rick is survived by his twin sister Robin, older brother Ron, and older sister Lynn, as well as his two sons Jake and Dylan, daughter in law Erika, and three granddaughters, Evelyn, Lora, and Camille. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Rick’s name to your local humane society or Pajarito Environmental Education Center. Please visit www.riverafamilyfuneralhome.com to leave condolences, pictures, or stories of Rick’s life for the Stupka family.