Alvin Allyn Ricker, 99, of Hartford, Vermont, passed away peacefully on October 17, 2025, at The Village at White River Junction, where he had resided since 2023. Born June 29, 1926, at home in Wilder, Vermont the son of Allyn Pearl Ricker and Anna (Grant) Ricker. Alvin grew up in the Village of Wilder, where he lived the majority of his life, maintaining deep roots in the close-knit community that shaped him.

A proud member of the Hartford High School Class of 1945, Alvin left during his senior year to answer his country's call, serving as a Private in the U.S. Army Infantry in the European Theater during World War II. While serving in Germany, he was wounded in action and was awarded the Purple Heart for his sacrifice and service to his country.

After returning home, Alvin built a life rooted in service to others. He worked as a bus driver for White River Coach Lines, and it was on one of those routes that he met a favorite passenger, Beverly Trask, who was commuting weekly from her family's farm in Bethel to her job in White River Junction. They married in 1951 and went on to share 74 years together raising four children.

Alvin devoted 52 years to the Hartford School District, serving as a custodian and school bus driver. Generations of Hartford students remember his reliable wave, his unflappable calm in all weather, and the way he made the start and end of each school day feel safe. He dedicated his free time to volunteering in his community through the Hartford Alumni Association, the Bugbee Senior Center, delivering Meals on Wheels, and serving as a board member of the Vermont School Custodians and Maintenance Association, helping to organize their annual conference well into his 80s.

For 40 summers, Alvin and Bev lived at their camp on Mascoma Lake, where they enjoyed hosting family and friends throughout the season. He found quiet joy in tending his vegetable garden and maintaining his homes—never one to sit idle. He was a quiet man, quick with a smile and always ready to lend a hand. Alvin especially loved watching his seven grandchildren grow up, watching from the sidelines at countless games and being present for all of their major life events.

Alvin was predeceased by his son, Stewart Ricker; daughter, Sandra Ricker Gour; his parents; his brother, Rufus Ricker; sister, Luna Ricker; and granddaughter, Ashley Ricker.

He is survived by his wife, Beverly; his son Allyn and wife Charlene, and their children Allyson (David) Klosterman, Sara Ricker, and Adam Ricker; his daughter Marie Martin and husband Scott, and their children Brian (Jessica) Martin and Lindsay (Ryan) Mullen; grandson Ernie (Bobee) Gour; daughter-in-law Noel Maull and her daughter Nicole (Rob) Wheeler; nine great-grandchildren; and numerous in-laws, nieces, and nephews.

Arrangements and a celebration of life will be announced by the family at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Bugbee Senior Center, 262 North Main Street, White River Jct., VT 05001.