Rich Sleppy - Long time DM/Instructor in Pensacola Florida Passed on February 10th

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MRXRAY

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I know this belongs in passing but MOD please allow me a bit of slack here, I don't want it to get hidden away from the folks who knew him in DDD

Friday February 10th Rich Sleppy passed away after complications he suffered from a Cardiac Event. Rich is best known to many as the smiling, Highly technical Divemaster and instructor who served aboard many boats (Most Recently the H2O Below) in the Pensacola, Florida area for nearly the last decade. Rich had more Dives on the USS Oriskany than anyone else in Pensacola and more than anyone ever may have, you probably met him a may not remember him so I'm posting a picture as well.

The Friends of Rich Sleppy can not think of a more fitting tribute to this diving legend in Pensacola than to erect a Memorial Plaque on the USS Oriskany. What we need from you (Rich's Friends) is financial support. For every donation of $100 or more you will earn a place on one of the boats that will go the USS Oriskany to place the Plaque and be part or Rich's Memorial Service. The Plaque itself is finished and will be set in concrete in the next week and prepared to be set on the Oriskany. All money going forward that is collected will go to the Rich Sleppy Memorial reef. An unnamed reef that already exists will be renamed the Rich Sleppy Memorial Reef in the next couple of days and for every $1500 we raise we will add another Walter Marine Concrete Module to it. What we would like to do is to have everyone send a donation directly to: Escambia County Marine Resources at 3363 West Park Place, Pensacola, FL 32505. Make sure you put on your Check's notes: For Rich Sleppy Memorial Reef! Then please shoot me a message or call me at 850-420-0920 to let me know that you made a donation of $100 or more so we can get you on the list of folks that will attend the Memorial on the Oriskany when we set the Plaque for Sleppy. Stay tuned for more info! We will hopefully have a web page up in the next day or so for individuals to make donations to and once I have that info I will post it here as well as share with all the Local Dive Shops. Folks, this is for friends of Rich Sleppy this is not a Discount trip to the Oriskany! The family may be going on the trip and I expect it will be a very moving experience. Please keep this in mind! Please also keep Rich's Family in your thoughts and Prayers, this has been a very difficult time for all of us. We lost a great friend, and a great dive buddy.......

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Thanks for posting this. I met Rich in 2010 on the H2O Below and we kept in touch for a while after that. It sounds like a nice tribute to him and I'm sure he would appreciate being memorialized on the Oriskany. I remember his laugh the most and his ability to run a safe boat while making it oh so much fun. He was a great guy.
 
RIP Rich. You will be missed.
Are any of the old locals on here anymore?
This board used to be thriving with North West Fl. and South Alabama Divers, haven't seen many on here lately. Hope everyones still diving and doing well.
 
I am hoping someone can post about Rich's memorial.
 

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