Rick Bastine

Rick Bastine

July 18th, 1957 - June 19th, 2023

Rick Bastine, 57, resident of Santa Fe, New Mexico; transcended from this earthly realm, and his spirit peacefully transitioned back into the fifth dimension of the quintessence on Juneteenth (June 19th) of 2023; at 4:30 PM at UNM Hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His life, a life which he led and lived with great purpose and intention, was tragically and unexpectedly cut short by a stroke due to complications following a hernia surgery. He was a mentor, a friend to many, and a well known pillar of the community he served.

Born Ricky Carmel Bastine on July 18th, 1957 in Ouachita Parish, Monroe Louisiana to Mr. Alex Bastine Sr. and Mrs. Priscilla White Bastine, Ricky was the eighth born of their nine children. He is predeceased by his parents and by three sisters (Mariah Moore of Chicago, Illinois; Theresa Bastine of Oakland, California; and Alextine Powell of New London, Connecticut). He is survived by his two daughters, Angela Bastine and Alana Bastine; his granddaughter, Ayannah Chavez; his first wife and mother of his children, Renee Gaudier; his former wife of 18 years Julie Peet; three sisters (Calvin J. Vanderhoof of Redding, California, Priscilla Bastine II of Santa Cruz, California and Nadine Bastine of Richmond, California) and two brothers (Alex Bastine Jr. and Ronald Cadet Bastine of Santa Cruz, California) as well as by extended family members, loved ones and friends.

Rick Bastine lived in Monroe, Louisiana; Chicago Illinois and Oakland California as a youth before his parents settled in Santa Cruz, California. It was in Santa Cruz that Rick would spend most of his adolescence. Rick was a record breaking and record setting all-sport athlete in high school; excelling in a variety of sports including but not limited to Football, Basketball, Track and Field and Tennis. His athletic talent led him to receiving full athletic scholarships from both USC and Mount San Jacinto College. After earning his Bachelor of Arts degree from Mount San Jacinto, he returned to his home base in Santa Cruz, California, where he became a high school coach for the same sports he had played; leading young athletes to break many of the records that he had previously held.

Rick was also a visual artist who loved to draw everything from sketches to comic books. His artistic abilities led him to work in drafting and circuit board design before he started on his lifelong journey of holistic healing via an entry level position at a startup herb and vitamin supplement company. Once there, he was continually promoted nearly every year until he had finally reached upper management at the executive levels, making significant contributions to the company achieving vanguard brand status and becoming one of the leading international health product distributors. Soon, Rick would go on to branch out into other modalities of healing. He worked hard to develop his own skills as a healer and eventually went into business for himself as a practitioner of the healing arts. He moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2002, immersing himself in the traditions of shamanism and adding a vast array of other certifications to his repertoire; including Usui reiki, energy work, massage therapy, NLP, hypnotherapy, family counseling and sound healing. He was an ordained non-denominational minister and officiator of sacred ceremonies. He used his training in a daily effort to bring people together in peace, harmony, unity, and community. Only those who were closest to him may know that he was a trusting soul, and often to a fault. He couldn’t see through the machinations of others because he tried so very hard to only see the good and potential in people, and to vibrate them higher. He wished only love, joy and peace, even to those who would wish to do him harm or seek to take advantage of him, because he wanted so much to affect positive change in their lives. For this reason, he wore his rose-colored shades until the very day that he began to fade away…If he had an achilles heel that caused him to stumble at times, it was only his need to be loved and admired by all whom he encountered. It’s not a character flaw unique to him. In fact, most people on this planet possess the same exact quality. Those of us who don’t have this need for unconditional acceptance (from friends and strangers alike), are usually hated for it by the same- and deep inside, he was acutely aware of that sad fact. If anything, this aspect of his shadow self made him even more relatable and it enabled people from all walks of life to engage with him. After all, he was only human. He had a way of reminding us of how fragile we are, no matter how ambitious or industrious we might be. If you knew him, you knew it was a need for unconditional love that drove him. That kind of vulnerability in someone so powerful is a humbling sight to behold. It helps us to remember that although God dwells within all of us, we are only human too.

So, while his departure from our lives is a huge loss, all is not lost. He always used to say, ‘’nothing bad happens, ever,’’ striving to look on the bright side and find the silver lining. His transformative healing methods have assisted a great many seekers on and along their own paths of healing, self discovery, and using ‘the force’ to reconnect with the source. He was truly a Jack of all trades, a master of many, a renaissance man, and a creative performance artist. He was also a deeply sensitive soul who had a great sense of humor and a kind word of encouragement for all. His voice, his presence, his laughter, his big smile and his sage wisdom will be greatly missed. His spirit, his legacy and his memory will live on through all of the people that he loved, and all who have loved him. 

The Bastine family welcomes those who wish to pay their respects, to attend a memorial service on Friday, August 18th from 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM at Rivera Funeral Home in Santa Fe, where we will gather together to celebrate his life. In honor of our father, our kinsman, our teacher; of our chieftain, our friend, and now, our spirit guide. He is forever with us in spirit. With gratitude, peace and blessings to those who loved him unconditionally just as he would have wanted, thank you. May you all be comforted. And may he rest in power.