Richard Allan “Rick” Brueggeman was born 69 years ago in Peoria, Illinois, to Edward and Jean Brueggeman. Shortly after his birth, they moved to Denver, Colorado. Summers were spent camping with the family. Their last trip with the entire family was a very cold trip to Jefferson Lake. Upon graduating from Regis High School, Rick spent the summer at Kansas University taking college courses. From August, 1972 through 1976, he was a member of the United States Airforce where he was a Ground Radio Equipment Repairman and Air Support Specialist achieving the rank of E-4. While on tour in Germany, he used his knowledge of German to trace his family’s lineage and even met a member of the family. He compiled the information into a booklet for the American Brueggeman family. Rick’s parents came to visit him. They spent their time visiting castles, a crystal factory, the Black Forest as well as other sites. He was then stationed in California where he spent his off-duty time travelling and going to music concerts such as Elton John, Chicago and his favorite group, Jethro Tull. After the military, Rick worked for seven years for Storage Technology Corporation as a Manufacturing Tech III. From there, he used his computer skills at Grant-Norpac, Digicon, Wavetech Geophysical. At Stanley Aviation Corporation, he met Sara Winters, who would become his wife of 27 years. His last corporate job was at CARL Corporation where he was reunited with his best friend from age 16, Redgie Huddleston. What started as a side venture in 1995, became his happiest business adventure of all. He started PCPRO Consulting and Technical Services. He provided small business and individuals with technical support for Microsoft networks including computer repairs, hardware and software purchases and installations and upgrades. He also consulted clients on computer purchases and needed programs. In 2009, he added his wife’s bookkeeping and software knowledge to the company. Together they created a program for pool maintenance and a program for geology mapping and formation locations for geological surveys. Rick was a voracious reader. In his youth, during the summers, he made a library for his sisters and brothers; complete with books, library cards and cards to check out the books. He read everything on any subject from books, websites, newspapers, even the occasional comic book. At one time, he owned a collection of first edition comic books. After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear disaster, he joined and later ran a website dedicated to the issues surrounding nuclear waste and its effects on people and the environment as well as becoming extremely knowledgeable about the need for iodine. He was an avid blogger on several websites. If it was science, technology (except cell phones), the environment, history, math, current events, religions, he read about it. He loved learning and researching new topics. After buying their home of 30 years, Rick joined Sara in a love of organic gardening. He built 11 large gardens to plant her favorite flower, roses and his favorite, iris. They planted other plants for the bees, butterflies and hummingbirds; although not very successful for the hummingbirds. He was particularly interested in saving bees. He always called gardening his experiment to see what would grow in Colorado and to get rid of the grass so he wouldn’t have to mow. Rick was a kind and generous person who would try his best to help anyone who asked. If you became his friend, you were a friend for life. Those who didn’t know Rick thought of him as being an introvert who could talk to computers better than people. He could make a computer sing. When he was in his element, he had a wicked sense of humor that could make people laugh. He loved word play. He was preceded in death by his father, Edward Brueggeman, and his mother, L. Jean Brueggeman. He leaves behind his wife, Sara Winters-Brueggeman, sister, Lynn Ballard (David), brothers Michael Brueggeman (Pam), David Brueggeman (Joni), Tom Brueggeman (Ellinore Woody) and Debra Sullivan, along with many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. Funeral Services with Honors were held at Ft. Logan National Cemetery, 2:00 PM, August 16, 2024. A gathering of family and friends were held afterwards at the home in Parker, Colorado of his niece, Damy Anderson and her husband, Matt Sprague.