Rick Buvia died in his home on May 6, 2023, after a long illness.
He was born in Detroit, Michigan, January 4, 1940. His father worked for Ford Motor Company so his family split their time between Michigan and California. In California, their home was the Monterey Peninsula.
He served in the United States Army, stationed in Germany with the military police.
On returning to Detroit, he joined the Detroit Police Department. It was in the 60's and the third time he woke up in the hospital, he resigned. He said that he didn’t want to become the kind of person you had to be to survive in the police there.
He moved back to the peninsula and was hired by the Monterey Police department.
He started in the jail, and retired over thirty years later, as Captain. During that time he attended the FBI Academy is Quantico, and took the secret service training in Washington DC, to be qualified to work security when high ranking officials come to the peninsula. One of those was Pope John Paul II, and he was part of the local security for him.
As a member of the police force, he was the definition of what a good policing is supposed to be. The best example of this is when he was a motorcycle cop during the Monterey Pop Festival. He was met with hostility at first. His response was to drive down the street to a flower shop and cover his Harley and helmet with flowers. After that he said, “I went from pig to flower child.”
During his time with the police, he balanced his job with volunteering at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. He was a docent there for ten years. After retiring for the police, he was persuaded to go to work there for 5 more years. Then he really, really retired.
He rode his horses, he rode his Harley and he continued to volunteer with service organizations.
He was a Lions Club member, Elks Club, SCRAMP volunteer among others, and Ex-Officio board member of the Monterey Bay Blues Festival.
He purchased a boat, the Freedom II in 2007, and with the help of his dear friend, John Pack, as its skipper, took out over 700 veterans, free of charge, for fishing, whale watching, sightseeing, and scattering of ashes.
He loved helping people in any way he could, friends or strangers. He had the kindest, most generous heart in the world. He tired to make the world a better place and will be missed every day by those who knew and loved him.
He is survived by his daughter Anne Buvia, his wife Merry Kohn Buvia and sister, Pam Paul.
We wish to express our sincere gratitude to Mele Vakatapu, who’s loving care eased his passing.
In remembrance of Rick’s life, the family asks that donations be made to the charity of your choice.