'John Andrew Rickett (J.A.) was born April 25th 1924 to Thomas Layton Rickett and Eda Malinda (Brown) Rickett and raised on their farm in Wofford, Ky. He passed from this life on July 10th 2018 and was preceded in death by two brothers, Jimmy and Daniel, and three sisters Lavinia Leger, Josephine Johnson, and Burniedean Siler. He is survived by his four children, Cassandra Hurst, Jerry Rickett, Rebecca Reidelbach, John David Rickett. Also surviving are eight grandchildren Kimberly Spann Moore, Becky Reidelbach, Shannon Rickett, Michael Reidelbach, Jennifer Reidelbach, Todd Rickett, Andrew Rickett, Keri Rickett and five great-grandchildren, Gabriel Moore, Audrey Moore, Jonathan Moore, Elizabeth Rickett and Calvin Rickett.
Growing up in Wofford, J.A. was obedient to his parents and active in the Wofford Baptist Church. He took a break from high school to work in Baltimore for a while before he was drafted into the Army Air Corps. He arrived in England exactly one month before D-Day and flew as a B17 waist gunner on several missions over Europe in support of the war effort. After an honorable discharge from the Army he worked several jobs while finishing high school and attending Cumberland College for two years at which point he went to UK and joined ROTC. He received an army commission as Lieutenant after obtaining a Bachelors Degree in Agriculture. He was promptly drafted for the Korean War where his platoon faced enemy attacks in foxholes and on patrol. After returning from Korea he received his Masters Degree in Agriculture while working for the UK Extension Service, initially as an Agriculture Agent but later transferring to Monticello as a 4H Agent. It was in this role he found his calling and came to be loved and respected by several generations of youth in Wayne County. On his watch, thousands of tender souls were shaped in part by the wholesome activities that 4H provided. Throughout his career, J.A. was active in the Monticello Church of Christ while raising four children on the straight and narrow way. He remained faithful to the Church till the end of his days.
The great story of his life was a woman formerly known as Frieda Hill. It is a rare thing indeed to find the lifetime devotion of one man to one woman to this degree. From the moment she gave him the nod, he turned his entire life over to her service. There is nothing on earth quite so beautiful as the strength of a man devoted completely to a faithful wife.',