Richard Michael Pozda, 63, died on October 6, 2018, surrounded by family and friends in Houston Hospice. While Rick will be sorely missed, his family rejoices in his happy life and his end to suffering from Multiple Myeloma.
Rick was born on August 17, 1955 in Wilkes-Barre, PA, to Frank and Fern Gruber Pozda. Rick became a licensed practical nurse in 1977 and later went back to school for an associate degree in nursing and was a registered nurse since the late 1970s. Rick moved to Miami, FL in the 1970s before settling in Houston in 1983. Rick earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Texas Woman’s University in the mid 1990s. He retired in 2015 after 27 years in ICU nursing management at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital. Rick loved his nursing team with all of his heart. He considered each and every one his extended family. Countless staff supported Rick during his illness and they brought him great joy.
Rick will always be remembered for his dry wit, his love of music and his ability to advocate for patients and nurses. He loved his ICU 1 and 2 nursing family, Café Adobe/El Tiempo with friends, and his lifetime of pets.
Rick is survived by his brother Frank; his best friend Carol Holt (and husband Jeff Foster); his nieces Maeve and Claire; his best friend Marilyn Mokracek and numerous friends with whom Rick worked and played.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to Lola’s Lucky Day, a dog rescue who has placed Rick’s beloved dogs, Cosmo and Stella, into their forever home.