Jose Israel Ricard

Dr. Jose Israel Ricard, 80, of Huntington, passed away Saturday, July 5, 2008 in St. Mary's Medical Center, Huntington.  Funeral Liturgy will be conducted at 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at St. Joseph Catholic Church with Msgr. Lawrence Luciana officiating.  Burial will follow in Spring Hill Cemetery.  He was born February 16, 1928 in Havana, Cuba, a son of the late Jose M. and Candelaria Alvarez Ricard.  He was also preceded in death by two sisters, Ophelia Ricard and Ondina Ricard and one brother, Miguel Ricard.  He earned his medical degree at Havana University and served as Director of Sports Medicine for the Cuban Olympic team. He fled his native Cuba in 1963 and later settled in Huntington. Dr. Ricard was in family practice in Huntington since 1972.  He was a Marshall University Team Physician Emeritus, a member of the Cabell County Medical Association, for which he served as President in 1993, a member of the West Virginia State Medical Association, a member of the American Medical Association.  He served as President of the West Virginia Academy of Family Physicians in 1990 and was awarded the Family Doc Award in 1994.  In 1996, he was elected into the Marshall University Athletic Hall of fame and in 2001 he was elected into the Marshall University Sports Medicine Hall of Fame.  He was also inducted into the Huntington Wall of Fame. He was instrumental in bringing the Annual Family Medicine Weekend and Sports Medicine Conference to Huntington for the past 21 years.  He is survived by his wife, Amy Ricard; two daughters Jackie Ricard of Lexington, KY and Raquel Ricard Smith and her husband, Cameron of Ashland, KY; three sisters, Migdalia Benitez, Anna Maria Collazo and Unice Rodriguez; three brothers, Rafael Ricard, Felix Ricard and Juan Ricard and numerous nieces and nephews.  Friends may call from noon to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at St. Joseph Catholic Church Connector.  Beard Mortuary, Huntington is in charge of arrangements.  In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Dr. and Mrs. Jose Ricard Endowed Scholarship c/o Big Green Scholarship Foundation P.O. Box 1360 Huntington, WV 25715 or to Jose Ricard Scholarship Fund c/o Family Medicine Foundation of WV, P.O. Box 359 Flatwoods, WV 26621. Online condolences may be sent at www.beardmortuary.com

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