Rick Albertson 1957 – 2022

We—Rick Albertson’s colleagues, fellow artists, activists, and friends—are deeply moved by his recent passing. Over many decades, Rick touched each of us in ways as diverse as his many interests, affections, and talents. At one time or another, we all will have been moved by his wit, candor, loyalty, and elan vital. He has indeed been a significant vector for us, nudging the course of our lives about in important ways. Many will have known greater joy, hope, and success on a given day because of Rick. Our debts to him are incalculable…but no matter, as Rick in his usual generous style would have forgiven those anyway!

Rick was an alumnus of the Penn State theater department where he obtained a degree in set design, a passion he had already cultivated by his mid-teens when working for the Erie Civic Theater Association. At that time, Rick was a lighting technician and also performed in the theater’s pit orchestra. Upon graduation, Rick was employed by various staging companies as well as operating one himself. His professional exploits carried him all over the US where he was responsible for staging countless conferences and media events. His colleagues will have known him for his boundless energy, creativity, and hands-on troubleshooting skills. There was no technical competency that Rick didn’t seem to possess. He had a way of bringing a sense of festivity into even the most stressful of working environments.

While based for many years in Atlanta, Rick played electric bass in many well-known jazz, rock, and blues bands, laying down a crucial bottom line at all sorts of performances and events. Forever in search of adrenaline, he was a crew member on the emergency rescue team at Road Atlanta Raceway, and he also managed to infect some of us with his love of whitewater rafting and scuba diving.

A voracious reader of…well…anything he could get his hands on, Rick was also an accomplished writer. He moved to California during the dot-com bubble where he worked for Talk City as an editor and administrator. Following that, Rick went to Boston as Contributing Editor for Senator John Kerry’s web site. Rick was also an active contributor to other sites like Democratic Underground and The Daily KOS. He eventually returned to Pennsylvania where he continued to be active in liberal politics, a lifelong passion of Rick’s where he worked as an activist on many fronts. Rick cherished democracy and seized every opportunity to promote and preserve it.

Rick’s capacity for listening and empathizing was unparalleled. Lastly, he went on to work with the Mental Health Association of Northwestern PA as a Certified Peer Specialist, interacting directly with a diversity of mental health clients…a perfect fit for this energized and energizing, compassionate man. It’s somehow appropriate that he will have touched their lives as he has ours…with affection, humor, love…and an inimitable way of assuring that all can and shall be well!

Andee Baker, Santa Fe, NM, USA; Ann Hyland, Wexford, IRELAND; Anneke Toomey, Loveland, CO, USA; Ari Davidow, Boston, MA, USA; Camille Vahey, Erie, PA, USA; Emily Zielinski, Canandaigua, NY, USA; Howard Rheingold, Mill Valley, CA, USA; Janna Nelson, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Janice MacDonald, Edmonton, AB, CANADA; John Hopkins, Cedaredge, CO, USA; John Mulligan, Silver Spring, MD, USA; John W. Hays, Beldenville, WI, USA; Kate Gilpin, Richmond, CA, USA; Mark Osiecki, Heidelberg, GERMANY; Mary, Seattle, WA, USA; Nan Stefanik, Newfane VT, USA; Michele Armstrong, Cupertino, CA, USA; Richard J. Lee, Oakland, CA, USA; Robert Crosby, Redmond, OR, USA; Sarah Cherry, Melburne, AUSTRALIA; Scott Butki, Austin, TX, USA; Scott Hooker, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Stephen Engel, Portland OR, USA; Susan Uskudarli, Istanbul,TURKEY; Tom Whitmore, Seattle, WA, USA; Valerie Bock, Decatur, IL, USA; Ward Bell,  Minneapolis, MN USA; Will Osiecki, Montreal, QC