Ricky "Rick" Dale Maritt

Ricky Dale Maritt, age 65, went home to rejoin the family band on December 9, 2024, after battling Alzheimer's Disease. Rick was born on April 6, 1959, in Twin Falls, Idaho, to Virgil and Wilma Maritt - the baby of the family, little brother, and best friend to his sisters Linda and Sandi.

Rick was born to a musical family, with both parents playing in country music bands his whole life, and Rick's passion for music began at a young age. Rick grew up in Buhl, Idaho, a town he always considered to be his "home". In high school, Rick was involved in wrestling, the Rodeo club and was a bull rider. It was at a wrestling match where he met his first wife, Camille. The young couple married in 1976 and welcomed Christie in 1977, and Mandi in 1978. Both girls have fond memories of their dad surprising them with bunnies on Easter, and once, he even brought home a goat! The girls remember their lives always being filled with music and loved to watch their dad perform. Although Rick and Camille divorced in 1992, they always had a deep respect for one another.

Rick worked for Falls Brand for several years as a skilled butcher, and even years after he no longer worked there, friends and family would call Rick to help them cut and wrap a deer or elk from a hunt due to his expertise. Rick worked as a dispatcher in the trucking industry for many years, at both Truscott and Amoth Trucking, where he made many lifelong friends. Unfortunately, his Alzheimer's affected his ability to work around 2016, which saddened him deeply. While Rick was an accomplished butcher and dispatcher, his true passion, and what he was most known for, was music. Rick performed in bands as long as pretty much anyone could remember, as a guitarist and vocalist, with his most well-known band being Renegade, which was one of the biggest bands in the local music scene for at least a decade. He was so proud to have opened for Diamond Rio, to have gone out on tour, and even to have recorded an album, "Happy Disaster", on which many of the songs were written by Rick. Rick was an avid sportsman who loved to hunt and fish and participated in Bassmaster's tournaments in the 80's/90's. 

Rick married his second wife Rosie in 1993 and helped raise her sons, Troy and Scott, and loved them deeply. Rick and Rosie divorced in 2010.

Rick married Diane Partin in 2016, whom he had known since early childhood, and the pair were thrilled to spend the last several years back in their hometown of Buhl. He and Diane bought and operated a food truck for a few years where they could share their love of cooking.

Rick loved his family and friends fiercely, and was happiest when surrounded by them, making people laugh with his goofy faces, famous one-liners, and toasts. Even as Alzheimer's began to rob him of so much, he clung to his music and to his family. In his final weeks, even when he began to not recognize many, he always knew his daughters and his sister Sandi. In his last weeks, he had beautiful moments of lucidity, during which he told Sandi, Mandi, and Christie how much they meant to him. Even as the disease robbed him of so much, he was making people laugh right up to the end.

Rick is survived by his daughter Christie Low of Twin Falls, daughter Mandi (Scott) Rucker of Murtaugh, sister Sandi (Kent) Putzier of Buhl, sister Linda (Ben Carroll) of Hawaii, stepsons Troy and Scott Sabrosky, grandchildren Peyton, Ethin, Macie, and Brooklin, and three great-grandchildren, two who entered this earth just as he was leaving. He is also survived by his wife Diane, her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren as well as many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents. Rick will be missed so much by all who knew him. He left an indelible mark on us all, and we can all be comforted by the knowledge that he can once again remember every lyric and every chord.

A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, December 18 at 11:00 am at Wilkes Funeral Home, located at 2551 Kimberly Road, Twin Falls, Idaho, with a reception for close family and friends to follow. The service will be live-streamed for those unable to attend in person. 

The family wishes to thank the phenomenal staff of Chardonnay Assisted Living, Enhabit Home Health and Hospice, and Jessica Velasquez of Journey's Hospice for all of their care during his final weeks.

Memories and condolences may be shared with the family in the "Guestbook" section below.