Survival flght Crew member Rick Lapensee, Ypsilanti FD

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ANN ARBOR, Mich.-- Rick Lapensee was pursuing two of his loves aboard the University of Michigan Transplant Team plane: Flying and the medical profession.

Lapensee, a 48-year-old Ypsilanti firefighter and emergency-medical technician, brought hundreds of pictures to work of model airplanes he made with his sons. Those models hung in his barn in the Belleville area.

Lt. Mike Wells of the Ypsilanti Fire Department said early Monday evening that the department first heard from Lapensee's mother and wife that he was supposed to be on that flight. Lapensee had two boys, age 18 and 14.

"We are all in shock," Wells said, declining to further comment.

Kouba said Lapensee was off duty when he went on the flight Monday. Kouba said Lapensee had a part-time job the past three years with the U-M's organ procurement team, which he said was affiliated with the Survival Flight team.

Lapensee has 14 years with the Ypsilanti Fire Department. Prior to that, he worked for the Van Buren Township fire department.

"We fought lots of fires together," Kouba said. "He was someone everybody trusted. Everybody thought Rick was going to be the next Fire Marshall."

"Information from news articles"

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From the MPFFU Site,

As always let's show the requisite support. Rick has personal Ties to my department. (T. Parrish, Putnam Township Fire Department, Pinckney, MI.((We put the fire out in Hell))

As always all support is greatly appreciated.

Arrangements as follows:

Visitation: Brown Funeral Home Saturday: 4pm-5pm Family only-
460 E. Huron River Drive 5pm-8pm General public
Belleville, 48111 Sunday: 12pm-4pm General Public
6pm-8pm General public
7pm Scripture reading
Funeral St. Anthony’s Church Monday: 11am
409 Columbia Ave.
Belleville, 48111
Any Fire apparatus attending the funeral must be at the church between 8:00am-9:30am
Memorial Contribution can be made to:
The Ricky Lapensee Memorial Fund
C/O Bank of Ann Arbor
7 W. Michigan Ave.
Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197
Contributions can also be mailed to or dropped off at:
The City of Ypsilanti Fire Dept.
525 W. Michigan Ave.
Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197
(734)482-9778