Richard William Huibregtse

Richard (Rick) Huibregtse of Simi Valley, CA passed away peacefully on August 14th, 2026 at age 63 after a multi-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He was a loving and devoted husband, brother, father, uncle, grandpa, and son, and is survived by his wife Connie, his adult children Jordan (Columbus, IN) and Natalie Tengberg (Allen, TX), Natalie’s 3 boys and husband Tanner, his mother Roberta (Osprey, FL), 2 nephews, and a niece. Rick was predeceased by his father Rich and his brother William.

Rick was born in 1962 in Warren, Ohio. He lived in Mississippi during his high school years, where he was a competitive swimmer. He found love with Connie at Kettering / GMI in Michigan, where he also became a member of the Theta Xi fraternity and earned his BS in Mechanical Engineering with a computer / electrical specialty. His varied and rewarding career included roles at General Motors, Delphi Automotive, and Delco Remy, followed by start-ups including eSolar, Edisun, and Proterra. These career opportunities allowed Rick and family to share numerous adventures in Indiana, Portugal, Luxembourg, southern California, and beyond.

Rick made memories at work and while being outdoors with family, enjoying hobbies including surfing, scuba diving, backpacking, riding dirt bikes and adventure motorcycles, camping, racing RC cars, traveling, hiking, mountain biking, swimming, skiing, and enjoying life to the fullest. He loved his music collection, working on house projects, playing games and doing puzzles, tinkering with electronics, computers, and cars, cooking and eating, fixing most anything, and above all, enjoying life’s adventures with family and friends.

Rick was a force of life – when he set his mind to something, there was no stopping him. Despite having stage 4 prostate cancer for 10 years and ALS symptoms since 2020 that stole his ability to speak, move, swallow, and breathe, he continually found ways to reclaim agency over his existence. He was determined to live a full and meaningful life, despite what the disease asked of him. His grit, fortitude, and determination were something to behold, and he found humor and enjoyment in every day. He never lost his mental acuity, his courage, or his resilience, and he continued to help his friends and family throughout his last days.

On his final day, Rick passed peacefully, surrounded by his loving family while enjoying a selection of his favorite music. Amidst the grief and sadness, we have so many amazing memories with Rick that give us reason to smile, and which remind us of times shared and of a life fully lived. Rick inspires us every day to collect the positives in the most challenging of situations, to care and to look out for those around us, and to make the most of every opportunity. He is and will be deeply missed by his family and friends.

Details of Rick’s celebration of life will be planned and shared in the coming months.

In lieu of flowers, contributions to the ALS Network are requested.

https://alsnetwork.org/get-involved/ways-to-give/