Richard Gilman Doss Jr.

It is with deep, and heavy sadness that I announce the death of my best friend, soulmate, and husband of 25 years, Richard Gilman Doss Jr. (Rick). On October 20, 2015, Rick lost his two year battle with cancer. Rick was 61. Rick and I have one son, Casey Spencer Doss. Rick was not just Casey's Dad, but also his best friend! From a previous marriage to Marsha Miller, Rick had the honor of being stepdad to Kristi Goldby (Miller), and Mitch Miller.Rick was self-made and self-reliant. He was an amazing businessman! Rick co-owned and operated Meridian Meat with his Dad for 30 years. He farmed walnuts and also owned and operated a Gas Well service business. Rick understood the value of the dollar; he valued money and the importance of saving. The generosity he expressed with his money always matched his generosity of spirit. Rick worked long hours but gave priority to creating memories that would live in our hearts forever! Rick was loyal. His faithfulness to the important people in his life could be seen in the way he steadfastly maintained ties with his childhood friends. The number of people who call Rick their friend is legion!Rick loved life! Deer hunting, the Beatles, Giants, snow skiing, playing softball, Bonanza, Allegany tournaments, Tahoe cabins, craps, casino Bloody Mary's, yellow corvettes, friends, cheap coffee, water skiing, Blue Moon, Casey, Santa Cruz, Judge Judy, roller coasters, Fox News, Disneyland, ice cream, decorating the Christmas tree, meat, fast boats, In and Out burgers, Taco wagons, jigsaw puzzles, Elvis, cuddling, farming, Roy Orbison, concerts, sports, Kings, boating, houseboat, movies, family, me, farming, and God.In his younger years, Rick was a river rat. He enjoyed boating, water skiing, and pulling Kristi and Mitch on old rubber inner tubes with little consideration given to the stem that was poking them in the tummy! For the last ten years, he has enjoyed summers on our houseboat on Lake Oroville. It is rightfully named "Summer Lover". Rick's idea of relaxing after a hard work week included spending countless hours towing Casey and his friends behind the wakeboard boat while they boarded, surfed, tubed, and entertained the heck out of us! Once a year, Rick would dust off his custom made Maherajah slalom ski out and effortlessly ride like a pro! Casey, Mitch, and Kristi all credit Rick for their love of sports, especially baseball. Go Giants! Rick enjoyed going to Giants games. When he wasn't at the ballpark, you could be sure he was listening to the game on the radio or watching it on TV. Rick was at the 1989 World Series during the earthquake with Mitch and the 2014 World Series with Kristi and Casey. Rick had an appreciation and love for all genres of music. He encouraged, supported, and got tremendous joy out of watching Casey develop his musical talents and admired him for turning his passion for music into a career. I personally think there is a music gene, and he passed it along to Casey. Rick rarely missed an opportunity to attend Casey's gigs. It didn't matter how far we had to travel or even if the show began at 9:00 PM and ended at 2:00 AM, Rick would be there. And he never missed an opportunity to slow dance with me! In between gigs, Rick actually looked forward to full band practice in our living room...even on days when we both had to get up early for work! Casey and I are looking forward to his next gig because we know Rick will be there enjoying the music. Our song will never end! When it came to family, Rick nailed it! He was "present". Thank you Honey! Rick was born in Redding, CA, but lived most of his life in Meridian. He attended grammar school in Meridian, graduated from Sutter High School in 1972, and attended Yuba College. Rick was the eldest son of Gil and Wanda Doss who preceded him in death. Rick has one sister: Debbie Sivil (Tom), two brothers: Dana Doss, and Todd Doss (Kathleen), and many other loving relatives and family members.Rick had a quiet dignity, respecting himself the way he respected others. As he faced his final day and laid comfortably in our bed, he never lost his sense of humor and wit. He never had one moment of self-pity. A couple of days before he passed he looked at me, with a tear in the corner of his baby blues, and said, "Deb, how did we get here so fast?" I knew exactly what he meant .As per Rick's wishes, we invite friends and family to join us for a graveside service at the Meridian Cemetery on October 31, 2015, at 11:00 AM, where he has been laid to rest next to his Mom. Following the service, we will gather at the place he loved so dearly, his "home". We are looking forward to seeing everyone. We would like you to bring only the memories of Rick you have tucked away in your hearts, and pictures if you have any. They will be put in a memory jar to help us get through this difficult time. Thank you in advance for loving Rick! "Life Goes FasterThan You Think" "Don't Blink"