Hello everyone,

It is my honor to introduce our friend, partner, brother, and Marine, Rick "T-Rex" Corpel. Rick was born on July 11th, 1963, in San Diego, California. After high school, he proudly joined the United States Marine Corps and was stationed at Camp Pendleton, San Diego. Following his service, Rick continued his commitment to public service by joining the LAPD on February 26, 1990, where he spent most of his career at Hollenbeck Division. After 29 years of service, Rick retired on February 1st, 2019.

Upon retirement, Rick moved to Show Low, Arizona, to live a quiet and peaceful life. However, in November 2024, Rick was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. While the diagnosis was devastating, Rick’s determination to fight remained unwavering.

Throughout the years, Rick maintained a distant relationship with his family. He shared with Mike that his father left early in his life, and his mother remarried and moved to Texas. As a result, communication with his family was strained, and Rick didn’t provide much information about his immediate relatives.

When Rick’s health took a turn for the worse, Mike, his long-time friend and partner, was by his side. Despite living in Phoenix, Arizona, Mike made the 2.5-hour trip to Show Low nearly every day to be with Rick. He stayed with Rick during his treatments, including long hours of radiation and chemotherapy, and drove him to numerous doctor’s appointments. Mike’s unwavering support never faltered, even as Rick became a shell of his former self.

Despite the heavy emotional burden, Mike continued to support Rick in silence, all while balancing his own job and family life. As Rick’s time in hospice came to an end, Mike and long-time friend Manny Andujo were with him in his final days. After Rick’s passing, Mike took on the responsibility of fulfilling Rick’s last wishes, as promised.

However, when Mike contacted Rick’s insurance company to secure funds for the funeral, he was surprised to learn that Rick’s cousin—listed as the “next of kin” from San Diego—was the sole beneficiary of the policy. This created an obstacle, as the funeral plans could not proceed until the next of kin was notified. When Mike and Manny reached out to this individual, they were told that the funeral would be a private event, with no invitation for Rick’s friends.

This was a shock, as this individual had never reached out to Rick during his illness. In light of this, and in honor of Rick’s wishes, Mike has retained legal counsel to ensure that Rick’s final requests—concerning his funeral, burial, and property distribution—are respected and carried out.

Before his passing, Rick and Mike had detailed discussions about his final wishes and the allocation of his personal property. Mike is now asking for your support to help cover the legal costs associated with this process.

We are requesting your assistance with the legal retainers and expenses required to ensure Rick’s wishes are honored and that he is laid to rest in the manner he desired.

Thank you all for your support. Let’s fight for Rick, as he would have fought for us.

May God bless you all.