Rick Kane, 55; Was RB for Detroit Lions
Bill Schenley
Photo: http://snurl.com/twc78
FROM: The Reno Gazette Journal ~
By Staff Reports
Richard James Kane, a former professional
football player who made his home in Reno,
is being remembered as a great friend and
inspiration.
Kane, who went by "Rick," passed away
Christmas morning at his home from
complications of pneumonia, his family said.
Services have been scheduled for 11 a.m.,
Wed., at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints, Lakeside Ward, 1095 Golconda
Drive, in Reno. Burial will follow at Mountain
View Cemetery.
The 55-year-old leaves behind his loving wife
of 13 years, Dianne; his mother, Anne Kane;
three sons: Ryan, Sean and John; and daughter,
Kelly.
In April 2005, Kane lost his leg after
a 17-year-old girl, distracted from her cell phone,
crashed into his motorcycle near McCarran
Boulevard and Manzanita Lane, police said. Kane
would later help start a local amputee support
group, said Rick Riley, of Prosthetic Consulting
Tech.
"I have been an amputee for 35 years and have
been on the disabled ski team and climbed
mountains," Riley said. "I get to inspire thousands
of people. But from time to time, people come
along who inspire me. That describes Rick Kane.
He was an inspiration."
Born in Lincoln, Neb., Kane grew up loving
baseball, football and basketball. His athletic gift
landed him a draft pick by the Detroit Lions in
1977 as a running back.
He would play for the team through 1983,
switching to the Washington Redskins for the
1984-85 season.
Kane also had a 25-year career in the automotive
business in Reno. He was the sales manager for
16 years at Reno Jeep Chrysler, and spent the
last four years at Scott Motor Company as the
Internet and Fleet sales manager.
Dave Bellamy, sales manager at Scott Motors,
said Kane's co-workers are in shock over his
sudden death, and miss him terribly.
"He had so many friends," Bellamy said.
"He was just a nice guy whose greatest legacy
was that people loved him, and he allowed people
to become his friend. Everyone loved him."
Following Kane's devastating accident, Bellamy
said his personality was not changed, and that
Kane did not complain and had a positive attitude.
A prosthetic leg allowed him to live his life with
normalcy. Riley said what mattered most to Kane
was being able to be "a dad" and do activities with
his children.
Kane loved riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle
with his wife, the outdoors, and going on cross
country RV trips with his family.
"Rick was a special person and was everybody's
friend," said Nan Nesbitt, formerly of Reno. "If he
was your friend, he was your friend for life."
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1979 Topps (#) football card: http://snurl.com/twc6m
NFL stats:
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/K/KaneRi00.htm