Rick Merle Hurula

Rick Merle Hurula, beloved husband, father, son, brother, uncle, friend and resident of Scottsdale, Arizona, 65, passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack on December 6, 2019.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at Gainey Ranch Golf Club, 7600 Gainey Club Drive, Scottsdale, AZ at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, January 12 (main ballroom). Rick will be buried in Jackson, MI following a service at South Jackson Community Church, 1024 W. Kimmel Rd, Jackson, MI on Saturday, December 21, 2019 at 11:00 a.m.  There will be visitation at the church beginning at 10:00 a.m. until the time of service.

Rick was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan on February 11, 1954 to parents W. Jack and Ada (Estola) Hurula. He was raised in Jackson, Michigan where he graduated from Parkside High School in 1972. While there, Rick lettered as a varsity swimmer and loved endurance motorcycle racing. An avid outdoorsman, Rick also enjoyed hunting, fishing, water and snow skiing, and golf throughout his adult life. He graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Science in Resource Development.

 After graduation, Rick moved to Arizona and began his land development career in the construction industry as an operations manager for a pipeline contracting company; he was later hired as Manager of Construction Services for a nationwide engineering design firm. As his expertise in the construction industry grew, so did his fascination with the process of land development. In 1997, Rick was hired as Vice President of Development for Stardust Companies, a private real estate investment and land development company. While at Stardust, Rick provided oversight for the development and construction of tens of thousands of residential lots, and developed strategic planning for every facet of land development and construction activities for residential subdivisions. Most recently, Rick was Director of Construction Services at HILGARTWILSON, and a member of the Arizona State University Construction Industry Advisory Council. Rick’s combination of work experience and formal education gave him a unique perspective on land development and construction management that provided exceptional value in completing master planned communities throughout Arizona.

In 1982, Rick married Mary Baker King and they have one son, Jacobson “Jack” Baker Hurula of Scottsdale, 26. Rick’s family was his priority and joy, and they loved the Scottsdale community. Sadly, Mary lost her battle to cancer less than two years ago.

Rick was a Michigan State Spartans fan and served an exalted position in the Arizona MSU Alumni Association, attending every televised game in Downtown Scottsdale with his Green-and-White brothers and sisters. He later received an M.B.A. from Arizona State University and also became a Sun Devils fan. (Rick affectionately dubbed his own mascot “Spartky.”)

Rick also loved to golf and made Gainey Ranch Golf Club his second home and its members another extended family. He was honored to serve on their Board of Directors for many years.

Rick was preceded in death by his wife, Mary; father, W. Jack Hurula; father-in-law, W. Baker King; brother-in-law Robert Dyas; and grandparents.

Rick is survived by his son, Jack; his mother, Ada Hurula of Jackson MI; mothers-in-law Anna Belle Dyas of Tucson, AZ and Joan G. King of Naples, FL; sister Beverly (Brad) Aho of Eden Prairie, MN; sistersin-law Anne King of Scottsdale, Alana (Mark) McEnery of Tucson, AZ, and Robbin (John) Haeberlin of Boulder, CO; brother-in-law William Dyas of Scottsdale; nieces Amber, Annie, Cassidy; nephews Austin, Will, Josh, Chad, Christopher, Connor and John; and great-nieces Afton and Eleanor.

Rick had a heart of gold; he loved and cared for friends and colleagues like family, and felt very fortunate to have those connections. While we know Rick is in Heaven with our Lord, we only wish it could have been 40 years in the future. Rick will be greatly missed and lovingly remembered by all who knew him

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