Richard E. "Rick" Aniskiewicz, PhD, died on July 15 in Maricopa, Arizona, where he and his wife Suellen had retired. Rick was 72 years old, and his wife Suellen predeceased him in 2016.

Rick was born in New Jersey and raised in a blue-collar family in the borough of Cliffside Park overlooking the Hudson River and Manhattan beyond. He spent many days of his youth in "the city" watching the local sport heroes at Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium and Madison Square Garden. His roots in an East Coast ethnic family shaped his personality and life-long interests. He obtained a bachelor's degree at Arizona State University and a master's degree from Southern Illinois University. He completed requirements for a PhD in sociology at the University of Akron. He was a professor of sociology at Indiana University Kokomo, where he also served as department chair and dean. He was a gifted teacher in the areas of sociological theory and organized crime. Rick was a scholar and raconteur. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of sports and was a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and Arizona State Sun Devils. And music was a forte; Rick could tell stories about being at the early concerts of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, John Prine and so many more, and he followed these artists' careers until the end of his days.

Rick now crosses to the other side to join his parents, Stella and Stanley Aniskiewicz; his brother, Ronnie; and his dear wife, Suellen. He is survived by his brother, Albert S. Aniskiewicz (Linnette), and cousins, nephews and nieces scattered throughout the country.