From David Burnham

How does one start? What can you say that his wonderful wife and friends have not said already? Every time I think I'm done crying, another phone call, shared moment, or image pops in my head and brings it all flooding back. Strangest of all are the breakdowns when the call is from someone who never met him but knew how much I cared for him and had heard at least one Ricardo story (it really only takes one to fall in love with the guy).

I met Ricardo freshman year at Middlebury. Very soon we found ourselves members of a breakfast club (a small group of people who despite what happened the night before would always be the first table formed at breakfast) . Would any of you be surprised to hear that he was always there first? Invariably, the contagious smile was only matched by the hilarity of his story from the night before or the beat of the tune he was still humming.

We took Baldwin's History of Geologic Time J-term freshman year: we would make lunch at breakfast, (toasted pb&js) and drive to class so that we could head to the Snow Bowl directly...friends for life. I skied 51 days that winter, Cards invariably more than that. Once we discovered Mad River we never looked back and 6 laps on Paradise was considered a perfect afternoon.

Skiing was a shared passion that tied us together over the years. I remember visiting him at Tuckerman's the winter he was there: his posse was anxious to get going. Cards suggested we all start up Hillmans and that he would finish his chores and then catch up. We were over half way up before he started but he passed us...never stopped once, we were all winded and sweating when we got to the top but there he was all smiles ready to lead us on an adventurous day.

Epic ski days followed Cards wherever he was but once he found the Wasatch he knew he was home. His love for the back country was only matched by his love for sharing it. I think he gained as much satisfaction from sharing his adventures as living them, so generous with his time, knowledge and expertise. Living at sea level, I am one of those lucky people who as Caroline put it Ricardo pushed to "their physical limits" without ever leaving behind. Thank you Ricardo and thank you Carlos for putting up with me.

Ricardo's love for life washed off in showers on anyone who came in contact with him, every moment with Cards was a wake up call, a reminder that living large and doing what you love actually makes you a better person, husband, father, friend. I look forward to seeing all of you in March, hearing more stories and celebrating his legacy. In the meantime, I am going to let Ricardo lead me one more time as I recalibrate what is truly important: family, friends, fresh air and the combination of the same.

David Burnham

Fishers Island