Rico Okken

During our wedding day several people noticed that Ronald was wearing his livestrong bracelet. A lot of people thought that this was a little weird but to Ronald this livestrong bracelet is very important and he always wears it. Most people know that this is an initiative by Lance Armstrong and that the profits made on the sales of this bracelet are used for cancer research. A beautifull goal that Ronald and Blue support any way they can. And that is for a large part because of Rico.

Ronald's livestrong bracelet.

Who was Rico?

Rico was Blue's first love and first husband.
His full name was Richard Marcel Okken. He was born in Haarlem on 24 may 1963. Blue first met him in the summer of 1994 and soon fell in love with him. He had a 3 year old daughter from an earlier marriage. To be honest: Blue met Rico's daughter first and the girls father the next day. Blue later learned that he had seen her the day before and realy liked her. Since the feeling of butterflies in your stumach was felt mutually they soon dicided to live together. After 10 months Blue moved into the house where Rico had lived for many years.

What did he do?

Rico went to school in Assen and recieved a training as a restaurantcook in Groningen.
He was also a cook on the Dutch navy vessel Hr Ms Tjerk Hiddes. That is how he ended up in the Carabian.

After his return to the Netherlands he was restless and disided that ther were more roads to travel and more countries to visit. He stayed in a Kibboets in Israël first with friends, later on his own. That is where he met his first wive, the mother of his daughter. She is a South-African from Johannesburg. After they got married, they moved to the Netherlands and that is where there daughter was born and raised. After 8 years they split up. Mother and daughter moved to a new house but in the same village. About two years later Rico met Blue and the rest is history.

Foto boot

Tai Chi

Thai chi was Rico's biggest hobby and he had gotten really good at it to. He was thaught by a.o. Tang Wei and Wan Yeng. They were both worldchampions in there style (traditional Yang style). Rico was training with Wan Yeng for the Dutch National championship when pain in his shoulder forced him to stop.

Cancer

After a lot of testing and hospital visits whe found out that the pain in his shoulder was caused by a cancertumour. After more and more tests they found masses of propagations througout his body, including his liver. He was told he had about a year left to live, if that long. He disided that he didn't want further treatment since 3 months in a hospital, being sick from the cemotherapy, so you can live 1 month longer (if it works), was 2 months loss in his eyes.

Married

trouwfoto

His first responce was to leave Blue ("This is not fair, how can I put you trhough something like that"), but she made very clear that she wasn't going anywhere, she had chosen him and that was that!

"Loving someone is loving someone, in sickness and in health and all that, I belong with you and I don't wnat to hear another word about it" Once he realised she realy meant it, he asked her if she would marry him. They had spoken about marriage but always as something they would do in the future... "If you will stay with me, no matter what, then I want it to be the real deal, with all the trimmings."

After an emotional proposal Blue immediately said YES.

Rico and Blue were married on the 8th of march 1996.

Death

A 13 month battle during which he tried to enjoy life and all it has to offer followed.
Blue still doesn't completly understand where he or anyone can find the strenght and dignity he showed under those circumstances like that. When our time comes (and it comes for all of us.) we can only hope to take that journey the way he did. A last vacation to Spain, talking to his friends, going to concerts, smoking a joint (Yes, he was a smoker of the greenstuf) enjoing the sun but most of all, enjoing the company of the people he loved; His daughter, his family, his friends.

Rico died frydaymorning february 7th 1997 in his sleep.
Hij left a wife, daughter, family an a lot of friends.

Nothing is ever forgotten

Although Blue loves Ronald very much and they are happily married , Rico still plays an important part in Blue's live. The pictures still hang on the livingroom walls. His daughter is Blue's stephdaughter and will alway be her stephdaughter, no matter what happens. His name is mentioned daily and his pressence felt on a regular basis.

A sentence that is very important to Blue and covers how she feel is:
Nothing is ever forgotten.