Richard Hicks
The Richard and Bernice Hicks Nursing Education Scholarship Fund was made possible through a bequest by distinguished veteran, businessman, and local activist Richard Hunt Hicks in 2006.
Born in Huntington, West Virginia, in 1918, Mr. Hicks grew up in Portsmouth, Ohio, and moved to Monroe in 1937. After serving his country in the United States Navy in the South Pacific during World War II, he returned to Monroe to manage Roselawn Memorial Park in La Salle, then owned by his father Morris. Through his vision and leadership, Mr. Hicks converted Roselawn to a non-profit cemetery and served as a director until his retirement in 1982. Throughout his life Mr. Hicks was active in many local service organizations and charities, most notably the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and the Masons.
On Valentine’s Day in 1953, he married Bernice Swayze in Monroe. It was during her long battle with Parkinson’s disease that the idea of establishing a nursing education scholarship was formed – due to the wonderful nursing care she received. During the last year of his life, Mr. Hicks was also the recipient of wonderful nursing care, which caused him to remark many times “you can never have enough good nurses.”
Impact
Recipients:
2007-2008 Jeanette Hokett
2009-2010 Stephanie Kolb
2010-2011 Kim Giesige
2010-2011 Joyce Main
2010-2011 Alyssa Strazzulla
2011-2012 Nathan Hill
2011-2012 Aimee Lindsay
2011-2012 Jeniffer Wright
2012-2013 Amber Fischer
2012-2013 Aaron Maraugha
2012-2013 Heide Setzler
2013-2014 Alyssa Davis
2013-2014 Nicole Rice
2014-2015 Rhiannon Heckel
2014-2015 Journee Mason
2014-2015 Samantha Simon
2015-2016 Abigail Faust
2015-2016 Amber Gyde
2015-2016 Rhiannon Heckel
2016-2017 Molly Badillo
2016-2017 William Burrous
2016-2017 Cecilee Carmack
2017-2018 Victoria Welliver
2017-2018 Alison Kind
2017-2018 Nancy Uselton
2018-2019 Andrea Rister
2018-2019 Kayla Maddox
2018-2019 Jessica King
2019-2020 Courtney Beaudrie
2019-2020 Kristen Lindquist
2019-2020 Taylor Werkheiser
2020-2021 Kylie Justice
2020-2021 Amy McBee
2020-2021 Alexandra Rimmer
2021-2022 Barbara Boone
2021-2022 Victoria Porter
2021-2022 Jessica Sisk
2021-2022 Christina Vail
2022-2023 Rachel Hanning
2022-2023 Alyse Labadie
2022-2023 Devon Trombley
2022-2023 Yolanda Uresti-Balderas
2023-2024 Grace Horn
2023-2024 Emma McLaughlin
2023-2024 Emily Smith
2023-2024 Deborah White
2024-2025 Hesse Sambaan