Rico Walder
Enrico "Rico" Walder, 49, died at home, surrounded by friends and family, on Saturday, October 11, 2014.
Rico dedicated his life to his passion for reptiles and sharing that knowledge and experience with anyone who approached him for advice. His special interest in Green Tree Pythons was nurtured by others at a young age and his quest for learning and sharing spanned the globe, culminating in his dream career as owner of Signal Herpetoculture. He also achieved international recognition as a professional herpetologist, working at Lowery Park Zoological Gardens in Tampa, Fl., and also as assistant curator of Forests at the Tennessee Aquarium. He will be remembered for his compassion for others, support of conservation projects for reptiles and amphibians, contributions to advances in reptile husbandry in both the pet and zoo and aquarium industry, and setting the greatest example of how we should all chase our dreams, no matter how long it takes.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Ruth, and father, Maxwell.
Survivors include his spouse, Darlene Walder.
In lieu of flowers, please reserve donations for a memorial scholarship to honor Rico's legacy of educating others about reptiles and supporting international herpetological conservation projects. Details will become available soon via Facebook and his Signal Herpetoculture website.
A memorial will be held at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25, at Lane Funeral Home, Ashland Terrace, 877-3524.
Visit www.lanefh.com to share condolences.