Obituary
Ricardo “Ric” Artigas, 82, of Vero Beach, Florida, passed away on April 29th, 2024. Dr Artigas, a born leader and mentor to others, was a corporate Vice president of General Electric Company and, most recently, President of GE Energy Services, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, until his retirement in 2006. Ric had a track record of taking on organizations with less than stellar performance, clarifying or redefining their mission and rallying his team to achieve stellar results. One of his most notable achievements was pioneering GE’s innovative grid technologies. With operations in 64 countries, he led the company to unprecedented growth and profitability. Ric’s integrity was absolute. In the early part of his career with GE Nuclear Energy, he held several critical engineering and management assignments where any breach in integrity or bending of the rules could result in the loss of life or destruction of a nuclear power plant. Acknowledging his accomplishments, he won the “2001 Global Hispanic Corporate Achiever Award”, and in 2002, was named one of the nation's “Top 100 Most Influential Hispanics” in Hispanic Business Magazine. He also won the 2003 GE Chairman's Leadership Award for Strategy and Initiative. On a personal note to Ric, Jack Welch wrote: “…You wrote the book on the 4th E….““EXECUTION”. Ric was also cited in Jack Welch’s book Winning.
With over 30 years of GE experience, Dr. Artigas had actively led community service projects. In addition to various civic Board of Director memberships (Atlanta Ballet, Nuevo Caminar), he led GE Energy's local United Way campaign and encouraged employee volunteerism. But dearest to his heart, Ric had been a fierce advocate for the Association for the Bladder Exstrophy community for many years, supporting his wife, Pamela’s mission and endeavours out of love and affection for the children born with a complex rare medical condition.
Ric was born in Cuba and raised by his mother while maintaining a good relationship with his father, a politician and a physician. His grandparents had emigrated from Spain and, starting with very little, built the family name through hard work, wise investments, and an entrepreneurial spirit. Ric believed he had inherited his strong work ethic and entrepreneurial drive from his grandparents, his interest in science and politics and strong family values from his father and mother. Ric attended a private military high school in Cuba; midway through his senior year, the political situation became unbearable. Ric decided with his parents to leave school and travel to the United States to escape the turmoil, learn English, and continue his education.
Academically, Ricardo was a standout. He earned a BS in Physics and Mathematics from Murray State University and an MS in Physics from the University of Iowa. His thirst for knowledge led him to pursue a PhD in Engineering from Purdue University, where he was recognized as a David Ross Fellow. In 2007, he further honed his skills by completing the Board of Directors Consortium at The University of Chicago's School of Business. He authored many publications and was fluent in Spanish and English.
After retirement, Ric focused on his family, fishing, golf, and blackjack. An avid reader, he was surrounded by books in both Spanish and English. Going to the grocery store with Ric was an adventure. His daughter Anna warmly recalls how she knows how to read the label on every food item. The Artigas home was filled with love and laughter, family and friends cooking Cuban food in the kitchen and enjoying a Cuban cigar on the back porch. An early riser, Ric greeted Lily every morning with a “good morning, sweetie’, which she misses dearly. He was funny, warm, and generous. To quote his close friend, “Once you meet Dr. Ric, you never forget him.” He will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved him.
Ric died in his loving wife’s arms, his two youngest daughters holding each of his hands and his two constant companions, Bailey and Titine, by his side. He is survived by his wife, Pamela Artigas and children, Eric Schrandt (Gabriela), Anna, and Lily and children from his late wife Bonnie, Rick (Sandra), Alisa, Dori (Glen), and Michelle (Rodney); and the 13 grandchildren that he loved dearly. Ric was laid to rest next to his mother and the rest of his family in Miami during a private memorial service held on May 4th, with a celebration of his life to follow at a later date.
Memory wall
I pleaded softly,
"Please come back,
I can't do this alone,"
But the silence only echoed
In the emptiness of home.
Then I saw a feather,
Soft, drifting on the breeze,
A sign so small,
Yet it brought me to my knees.
A penny on the ground,
Heads up, a little shine,
Whispering your laughter
In the language of a sign.
Your song played on the radio,
A melody so clear,
And suddenly, your cologne
Hung like a memory in the air.
I asked you to come back,
Felt the ache and wiped a tear,
But then I realized softly—
You’re already here.
Ann Marie
Your friend,
Frank
