SPOKANE, Wash. — After a long fought battle with nonhodgkins lymphoma, Rick Lapointe, 56, passed away on March 3, at his home in Spokane, Wash.

Rick is from Jay, the son of Charlie and Marie Lapointe and brother to Bernie, Ray and Mike Lapointe.

He will be remembered as a great husband and father. Friendships were highly valued, as he greatly enjoyed the company of his many friends. A dedicated and hard worker, Rick worked for 14 years at Burroughs Welcome in North Carolina. He was leader and a visionary at Hollister-Stier in Spokane for 12 years. He also made contributions to the following organizations: Difco Labs (Sun Prairie, Wisc.) OsoBio Pharmaceuticals (Albuquerque, N.M.) and Catalent Pharma Solutions (Woodstock, Ill.).

Education was always paramount to Rick. He was a pharmacy graduate from the University of Rhode Island and a math major at the University of Maine at Farmington. The “Rick Lapointe, R.Ph. Scholarship Fund” has been set up in his name through the West Valley Education Fund. This scholarship is to assistant students who have lost a parent to cancer.

In addition to his parents and his brothers, he leaves behind his wife of 28 years, Janet and his son, William.

Rick was predeceased by an infant daughter, Lisa Michelle.