In a meeting room above McMurphy’s Irish Pub in Bakersfield, a solemn crowd gathered on Sept. 9 to honor the memory and celebrate the life of Jason Rickett, former editor of alternative newspaper The Blackboard, and an integral person with the Bakersfield Burrito Project.  A table with photos, memorabilia, and an old Underwood typewriter is the focal piece in the entryway.  Next to the sign-in book on the table was a basket of green ribbons for attendees to wear to bring awareness to bipolar disorder.  Rickett’s remains were in a coffee can, just the way he wanted it.

Rickett was about to begin his senior year at CSU Bakersfield when his life ended abruptly at the age of 49 by his own volition.  Rickett was an English literature and language major who had a passion for linguistics and a desire to teach.  I was following the same degree path, so I had taken many classes with Rickett and studied with him, talked about books, and had amazing discussions on the different ideas that are generated from literature.  Last semester, we took History of the English Language together, and I have to say I wouldn’t have done as well as I did without Rickett taking the time to explain linguistic terms and phonetic structures to me.

The memorial service began with a short eulogy by Reverend Kindra Hill, who shared about Rickett’s life and how she knew him.

In her eulogy, Hill referred to Rickett as “a collector of introverts,” as Rickett and Hill herself were self-proclaimed introverts, as were many others in attendance.  At the end of the eulogy, everyone raised glasses of Johnny Walker scotch, a favorite of Rickett’s, to toast him and his accomplishments.

After the cheer, friends and family began taking turns sharing stories and memories of Rickett, who had touched the lives of so many people in his various endeavors.  Rickett’s wife, Belinda Lopez Rickett, quietly listened to the numerous tales about Rickett before finally sharing her own.

Rickett was an avid writer, and the editor and primary writer of The Blackboard for many years.  The Blackboard was an alternative newspaper that gave a liberal perspective to the primarily conservative Bakersfield area.

Beyond journalism, Rickett also published a collection of short fiction titled “A Thousand Points of Darkness.”  His second novel, “Just A Game,” is being published posthumously.  Copies of Rickett’s books were placed on the table of memorabilia for attendees of the memorial to see.

At the memorial, Matthew Faulkner, a childhood friend of Rickett’s, told a harrowing tale of Rickett standing up to bullies.

Faulkner addressed the gathering with a general message for everyone: “Jason never backed down. Keep doing what you’re doing. Don’t stop.  Keep going and reach like Jason did.”

Rickett was a key organizer of the Bakersfield Burrito Project along with his wife, who founded the organization in 2009. Once a week without fail, volunteers make burritos to distribute all over Bakersfield to help feed the less fortunate.  Rickett used his skill with writing to establish the Bakersfield Burrito Project as a nonprofit and acquire various grants to help support the organization.

The stories by friends and family slowly dissolved from sad remembrance to laughter as spirits rose among the crowd and fond memories were shared.  It meant a lot to hear these stories.  I got to learn about a whole other side of Rickett that I had not known.  It was clear that Rickett touched many lives.

According to an obituary posted on legacy.com, Jason is survived by his wife, Belinda Lopez Rickett; stepchildren Leala R. Singleton, Michael V. Wells, Lance Cpl. Josephine C. Wells Ashley USMC and her husband John, his mother Lynn Marie Taylor, and brother Justin James Rickett. He is preceded in death by his father James (Jim) Baynham Rickett and brother Joshua Baynham Rickett.