Rick Sadowski

Rick Sadowski passed away peacefully on April 27, 2023 in Aurora, Colorado at the age of 71 surrounded by his family.

Born on November 8, 1951 in Bayonne, New Jersey, Rick lived in the East until venturing to the West Coast in 1979 to work for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner and later the Los Angeles Daily News where he covered the National Hockey League, Los Angeles Kings, Angels, and Dodgers. There he met his wife of 37 years, Pam, and they had their two daughters before moving to Colorado to write for the Rocky Mountain News as a journalist covering the NHL, Colorado Avalanche, and University of Denver hockey team. Following the paper’s closure, he continued to cover the Avalanche as a correspondent for the NHL. Rick was a graduate of Xavier University.

Throughout his career, he has written two books that are in the Hockey Hall of Fame and won writing awards from the Colorado Associated Press, the Society of Professional Journalists and the Denver Newspaper Guild. He also covered three Winter Olympics (Salt Lake City, Nagano, Japan, and Turin, Italy) during his tenure at the Rocky Mountain News.

Rick was a caring and thoughtful husband, father, and friend. He cherished the time he’d spend with his family each summer in Maui, which he considered their home away from home. He loved to read, play board games (competitively), garden, and insist everyone “at least just try” the Martinez or Manhattan he’d make.

Rick will be greatly missed by his wife Pam, two daughters Rebecca and Samantha, and his siblings Anne Cassidy, Edie Sadowski, Mary O’Neill, and Peter Sadowski. Rick is preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Charlotte Sadowski.

Memorial services will be held on Friday, May 19 at 11am at Horan & McConaty with a reception onsite following the service at 11150 E Dartmouth Ave, Aurora, CO 80014. Friends and family are welcome to attend and encouraged to don their best Hawaiian shirts in celebration of his life.

In lieu of flowers, his family requests donations be made to your local animal shelter.