#people/80s

Ricky Morris

Ricky Morris was a member of the local gay community who passed away from complications due to HIV/AIDS at the age of 34.

Before he passed, he conducted an interview for the February 1985 issue of GAYSPEAK about living with HIV.[1] He also allowed Catherine Terwilliger with the Colorado Springs Gazette to document his final five months of life in a multi-page feature titled RICKY: Life and Death with AIDS, which was published soon after his passing.[2] In doing so, "he hoped to leave behind a greater understanding of those who wait to die of the disease that eventually killed him."[2:1]

Ricky's Life

Ricky Morris was born in Greeley, CO on June 15, 1951. He was born disabled due to a deformity in his arm and a missing kidney, which led to him being hospitalized a lot in his youth. His mother was his primary caregiver until her passing in 1977.

A few months later, Ricky moved to San Francisco, in part to distance himself from the grief of losing his mother, and in part to better express his gay identity.

Six months after moving to San Francisco, he visited home, which is when he came out to his father.

Ricky moved to Colorado Springs in May, 1982. While in the Springs, he worked at The Exit as a bartender.

On learning of his diagnosis

“After the initial shock, I asked him what I could do to get rid of it, and he said, ‘Nothing.’”

He describes the loneliness of life with AIDS.

Girl in a jacket

Loneliness - Ricky Morris - Gazette - 11-15-1985.png|300
Ricky Morris - Loneliness.png|300
A couple of months before his passing, GAYSPEAK put out this call for help.
Ricky Morris - Gayspeak - September 1985-1.png

Memory

In the week after his passing, there was a candlelight memorial service at The Exit. Ricky had planned it himself. A bouquet of red roses were distributed among everyone who attended, his friends and family. "Ricky had wanted to give one final gift of love and hope."

Ricky Morris is memorialized in The AIDS Quilt.[3]

Ricky Morris AIDS Quilt Panel.png

Key Dates

References

  1. “Gayspeak Volume 7 Issue 2.” Newsletter. PPGCC, Feb. 1985, Colorado College Special Collections, Colo Rm. Oversize. ↩︎

  2. Terwilliger, Catherine. “RICKY: Life and Death with AIDS.” Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph [Colorado Springs, CO], 17 Nov. 1985, Newspaper Archive, p. 1, https://access-newspaperarchive-com.ppld.idm.oclc.org/us/colorado/colorado-springs/colorado-springs-gazette-telegraph/1985/11-17/page-1. ↩︎ ↩︎

  3. “Interactive AIDS Quilt.” National AIDS Memorial, https://www.aidsmemorial.org/interactive-aids-quilt. Accessed 24 Jan. 2026. ↩︎