Eric James Simonson, known to radio listeners as Rick James, passed away peacefully at his home on July 9, 2019, in Eagle River, Alaska.

You may recall Rick James hosting mid-days on 999 KEKB a few years back. During the Grand Junction phase of his career, he shared his talents on a handful of stations including KOOL 107.9.

Raised in Minnesota, Rick, like many in the business, moved frequently. You may recall the old radio saying, "town to town, up and down the dial." Radio took him to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where he met his wife of 36 years, Marian.

Upon settling in Grand Junction, Rick and Marian raised two daughters, Nicole and Lindsay.

I had the pleasure of working with Rick at KEKB. The last time I saw him, I was a patient in the emergency room at Community Hospital when it was still on 12th Street. Rick was working security.

In recent years, you may have spotted Rick working part-time at the gun counter at Cabela's in Grand Junction. He also taught concealed carry and gun safety courses.

Following Grand Junction, Rick and Marian decided to make the move to Alaska. He is survived by his wife, Marian; daughters, Nicole Hulick (Justin) of Gunnison, Colorado, and Lindsay Davidson (Daniel) of New Castle, Colorado; granddaughters, Abigail and Charlotte Hulick; sister, Robin Kellogg (Jeff) of St. Paul Park, Minnesota; and his brother, Jon Simonson of St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

A celebration of his life will be held on Friday, July 19, 2019, in Anchorage, Alaska. Final services and resting place will be held in Colorado in August.

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