Obituary of Rickie Darlene Looney

Rickie Darlene Looney passed from this world to be with her Heavenly Father on February 3, 2023, at home surrounded by her family.  She was at peace and ready to go home to be with Him.

The youngest of 5 children, Rickie was born January 27, 1956 in Dallas, Texas. Soon after she was born her family moved back to St. Petersburg, Florida and she grew up here. Rickie graduated from St. Petersburg High School and what is now St. Petersburg College. She attended the University of South Florida.

She worked in banking, mortgage and financial planning until she became CFO of the family construction company, where she worked for 20 years.

However you knew of Rickie as Darlene, Mom, Mama or Little Blister, you would know that she loved her family and friends to no limits. She was the glue that held folks together.

Rickie was an avid lover of art, nature, dogs, sunrises, travel, adventure and most importantly, family.

She had a smile that would light up any room. Anyone that met Rickie would always notice her bright, smiling face and her never-ending sweetness.

A favorite memory of her family was her love of the song Mr. Blue Sky, blasting it loud and singing:

Sun is shinin' in the sky

There ain't a cloud in sight

It's stopped rainin' everybody's in the play

And don't you know

It's a beautiful new day

Our hearts are truly broken. Rickie will be desperately missed by everyone who had the true blessing of knowing her. We rest in the knowledge that she is at peace with God who she truly loved.

Rickie is preceded in death by her parents, Myrtice (Ward) and Ricky Wright. She is survived and loved by her husband John Looney, sons, John Looney (Danielle Cornette) and Clay Looney, Grandkids Jameson and Savannah Looney,  sisters, Joanne (Wright) Watkins and Debbie (Cherry) Mullis, brothers, Manuel (Virginia Pringle) Wright and Terry (Terri Irvin)Wells, many nieces, nephews, cousins, a loving and large extended family and countless friends.

Services will be held at St. Paul’s Catholic Church 1800 12th St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33704 on Saturday, February 18, 2023 at 11 am.

A celebration of life will take place at Fort Desoto Park, Pavilion 14 immediately following the services.

                                                       Gone From My Sight

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other. Then someone at my side says:

                                                      “There, she is gone!”

                                                          “Gone where?”

Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she    was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear the load of living freight to her destined port.

Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says: “There, she is gone!”

There are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout:

                                                      “Here she comes!”

                                                       And that is dying…

                                                                                                       Henry Van Dyke