Richard Bruce "Rick" Vanjoske, 70, of Gatesville, TX and formerly Aurora, IL,  passed away Friday, March 01, 2019, losing his battle with cancer.  Rick was born on June 21, 1948, the first born of 6 children. He grew up in Aurora, IL, attended East Aurora High School, and after High School, Rick joined the Army and proudly served his country in Vietnam. In the 1970s, Rick moved to Texas, where he worked and travelled the world for his job, living there until his passing. 

He was preceded in death by his father, Ernest S. Vanjoske, and his wife, Beverly, and by his mother, Normajean Boring. 

He is survived by his son, Richard B. Vanjoske, Jr, of Summerfield, FL;  his brothers Michael J. (Diane) Vanjoske, of Mesick, MI and Steven P. (Shirley) Vanjoske, of Newark, IL; his sisters Veronica (Thomas) Braddish, Corpus Christi, TX, Mary Close, Marseilles, IL, and Judith Heath, Seneca, IL.  His extended surviving family includes his stepbrothers Micheal (Anna) Simon, Kevin (Tess) Simon, San Antonio, TX and Timothy Simon, Charleston, SC; and stepsisters Cathy (Jerry) Larsen, Marseilles, IL, Carolyn (Steve) Atkins, San Antonio, TX and Janice Simon-Hibdon, Marion, TX, many, many nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and special friend, Katherine Bushong-Seward, of Gatesville, TX.

Rick lived a full, interesting life, and will be sadly missed, forever remembered. 

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”

Thucydides, classical author