By Alice Huth-Derrah
Rick Losey is a man on a personal journey, at least, he’s searching for a way to follow the Father’s purpose for him. “I don’t know if I was very good at paying attention to signs along the road or not,” he says, and without any doubt, states, “God can open up so many doors if you just try it.”
Born and raised in the small farming town of Miller, South Dakota, Rick is the youngest of five children. Rick’s parents were already winding down the work on their farm when he came along, though the family resided there until moving into town about the time Rick graduated from Miller High School. Baptized at St. Ann’s Catholic Church, Rick served as an altar boy and also joined the choir. He fondly describes St. Ann’s as “beautiful”, with stained glass windows and vaulted ceilings that seemed to soar above the choir as they sang in the loft. Rick was beginning to develop his own talents in music and the performance arts and says, “My draw to music comes from a musical family and the church.” While a junior in high school, he started playing the trumpet and his music teacher suggested Rick try out for the school jazz band. He auditioned and made it in, and he was off onto his life-long musical journey.
At the age of 18, Rick joined the Air Force and soon took advantage of the travel opportunities military service afforded him. An openness to new adventures and an innate curiosity about other people and how they live led him on excursions to Spain, Germany, Ireland, and Scotland. Rick thought it amazing that a “small town farm boy” would be given the chance to experience “the richness of other cultures in other countries.” All the while, his love of music and performance arts continued to thrive as he attended first-rate shows and productions in Europe. After eight years, Rick was ready to try something new, so he left the military, married, and moved to Bakersfield, California, to pursue a job opportunity working at an airport. Although the job didn’t work out, Rick would gain experience in a variety of roles ranging from manager at a Home Depot to working for UPS. Eventually, Rick’s marriage ended, and he relocated back to his home state of South Dakota, settling in Deadwood, an old prospecting town located in the wild and stunning Black Hills. He took a position bartending and became more involved in “street performance and historical re-enactments.” He moved again, this time back to Miller where he says he “really felt called to use my talents for God’s benefit…and I went on a kind of retreat.” Out of that venture came the inspiration to create his own company called “Believe Productions,” allowing Rick to fully tap into his creative side using material that he often writes himself. His favorite performances involve “transformation,” and he says, “I’m currently working on a presentation about my own life journey.”
The decision to move to Arizona a little over four years ago was based upon a chance contact made on Facebook. Rick reconnected with Jana, “the love of my life,” a reunion 30 years in the making. Bartending at Cardinals Stadium and the Hilton at the Peak, as well as “Believe Productions,” keeps Rick busy, yet he and Jana always make time for each other and their faith, attending Mass and doing morning bible readings together. They share their home with their dog “Brinkley” and cat “Miss Kitty.” Rick says of life, “It’s an amazing journey to be here.”
