Rick Nauman

Rick Nauman, a loving father and husband, rock-and-roll guitarist turned electrical engineer, and dedicated civil servant, died suddenly on Sunday January 1, 2023 of a heart attack. He was 72. He is survived by his wife Karen (née Kerwin), his children, Billy (Julia) Nauman and Audrey (Alex Borysenko-Anderson) Nauman, his sister Debi Anderson (née Nauman), his brother Jeff (Judy) Nauman, along with many wonderful, beloved members of the Vickers and Nauman families.

Rick was born to Millie (née Vickers) and Bill Nauman on December 21, 1950 in Tallahassee FL, which was (as he would remind everyone on every subsequent birthday) the shortest day of the year. After a brief stint in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rick and his siblings were raised all around Florida’s Gulf Coast. Whether in Pensacola, Fort Walton, or Panama City, they grew up surrounded by their large extended family. Throughout his life, Rick loved spending summers fishing and waterskiing with his cousins, aunts, and uncles in Bay County. Rick graduated from Woodham High School in Pensacola and made his way after graduation to Tallahassee to pursue an art degree at FSU. 

Rick developed a love for rock-and-roll at a young age when he discovered the music of the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix, and it grew into a passion after he bought his brother's Gibson Les Paul in high school. After two semesters at FSU, Rick decided to hit the road and head west to Boulder, Colorado with his bandmates.

Yet fame remained elusive in the Rocky Mountains, and the siren song of Tallahassee was too strong to resist for long. After a year or so out west, Rick came back home and his dreams of rock-and-roll stardom lived on when he joined local touring band BB Jam as their lead guitarist. 

BB Jam never brought Rick fame or fortune (definitely not fortune!), but it ultimately gave him something more valuable in the form of lifelong friendships with people all across the Tallahassee music scene. And most importantly, one fateful night after a gig at the Silver Dollar Lounge on Jefferson Street, it led him to the love of his life, Karen.

Rick and Karen married on April 12, 1980 and enjoyed 42 years together until Rick’s death (not bad for a guitar player and a bartender).

Rick played with BB Jam for around a decade, touring the southeast and releasing a self-titled record. But his musical career came to a permanent end in 1983 when his son Billy was born.

Faced with new priorities and the need for a "real" job, Rick re-enrolled at FSU with a renewed focus. With Karen supporting their young family, Rick poured himself into his studies, majoring in electrical engineering. In 1985, Rick and Karen welcomed their daughter Audrey into the world. He graduated with his degree in electrical engineering in 1987 and joined the civil service shortly after, taking a position at Eglin Air Force Base and moving the family to Baker, Florida.

Rick had a knack for math and science, and deep curiosity for understanding the way things work, which produced a genuine aptitude for engineering. He took pride in his work at Eglin, where he was widely respected for the integral role he played in developing guided weapons technology.

Rick’s career supported his broad range of interests and hobbies, which he enthusiastically shared with his children, wife, friends, and family. His early rock-and-roll lifestyle eventually extended into a deep love for classical music. He was a season ticket holder with the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra for many years, and was sure to be found sitting as close to the stage as possible for any evening that included Tchiakovsky or Mozart. His love of science extended to astronomy, and throughout the years he built his own (increasingly large) telescopes, taking advantage of the exceptionally dark skies in his own backyard to marvel at planets and deep sky objects. His engineer’s mind was fascinated by auto racing. He was an amateur online competitive sim racer, an avid fan of Formula 1, and the owner of a BMW Z4 that he would take to track days around the Southeast.

Rick was happy for any excuse to travel in support of his interests. He attended numerous Formula 1 and IndyCar races in the United States and Europe, most often with one or both of his children. If his travels ever took him close to a classic race track, he’d go out of his way to check it out (once even speeding around the Nurburgring in a rented family sedan). He attended astronomy conventions to look through bigger, badder telescopes with his family and friends. After both his children moved to New York City, he was excited to check out all the art museums, opera, dance, and symphony performances the city had to offer.

Despite his interest in traveling and experiencing the world, Rick also found great joy staying closer to home with Karen and visiting their friends and family all over Florida. And true to his Tallahassee roots, he was never happier than when he was supporting the Florida State Seminoles football team at Doak Campbell Stadium.

Rick’s family would like to extend their thanks to their friends and neighbors, Ann Sprague and Dewayne Walther, for their support in this difficult time.

As per Rick's wishes, there will not be a traditional service. There will be a celebration of his life held at a date yet to be determined. In lieu of flowers, you may donate to The Innocence Project. 

Arrangements are entrusted to Whitehurst Powell Funeral Home in Crestview. Guest book and condolences are available online at www.whitehurstpowellfuneralhome.com

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