FORT WORTH -- To some, Ric Nesbit was a seven-time NCAA swimming champion at Texas A&M and the University of Texas at Arlington. An inductee into the UTA Maverick Athletic Hall of Honor and the Texas Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame, he also coached swimming for more than 40 years.
To others, Mr. Nesbit was an advocate for crime victims, one of the founders of the Grief Support for Families of Murder Victims after his 15-year-old daughter, Katy, along with her friend Michael McEachern was killed in August 1995 during a holdup. He also worked countless hours on victim impact panels across the state for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and the Texas Youth Commission.But to his family, Mr. Nesbit was a kind husband, amazing father and terrific grandfather.Mr. Nesbit, 67, died Friday in his sleep at his Fort Worth home.A memorial service is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Moore Funeral Home, 1219 N. Davis Drive, in Arlington. He will be cremated."I can't find one word to describe him," said his daughter, Jennifer Culpepper of Benbrook. "But he was very passionate when it came to his family. And he was that way toward swimming and being a crime victim advocate."A native of Dallas, Mr. Nesbit had a passion for swimming at an early age."I knew how to swim before I knew how to walk," Mr. Nesbit said in a 2009 interview with the Star-Telegram. "She [his mother] would have to tie me to a rock to keep me out of the surf, because I would crawl into the water."He set a national age-group record at 10 and an American record as a sophomore at Highland Park High School, which he led to three state championships.Swimming records continued at A&M and UTA, and he qualified twice for the U.S. Olympic trials.He continued to coach swimming up until his death.Alec Ranck of Fort Worth said his 6-year-old granddaughter, Gabby Ranck, took swimming lessons from Mr. Nesbit for more than three years.Ranck said Mr. Nesbit challenged Gabby in a way no other coach had done. He was stern, but the swimmers had a great respect for him."She would do things for him that she wouldn't do for the other coaches."Ranck said the two formed a special bond over the years."When Gabby's lessons were over she would want to hang out, watch the next class and visit with Nesbit," he said. "He really cared, not just about swimming but about each swimmer. He cared about their life; he was that way with everybody."Still, the last 17 years were difficult for Mr. Nesbit after his daughter was killed."He had an overwhelming sadness," said Sara Nesbit of Fort Worth, another of his daughters. "He was brokenhearted."Mr. Nesbit and his wife, Judy, attended victim panels and spoke to hundreds of juveniles, adults and law enforcement officials about the impact of crimes on families.He worked as an alcohol and drug prevention specialist at Arlington Heights High School for years before he retired from the Fort Worth school district in 2008."Ric Nesbit and his family have worked tirelessly on behalf of crime victims in this community and on the state level since the murder of their precious daughter, Katy," said Deborah Caddy, director of the Rape Crisis and Victim Services Program in Tarrant County. "Through self-sacrifice and hard work, Ric and his wife, Judy, turned their tragic loss into strength and support for others in similar situations."Mr. Nesbit had still been helping crime victim families."He was a fantastic man," Ranck said. "This is really a loss to the community."Other survivors include his daughter, Julie Muehlstein; a brother, Randal Nesbit; sisters Marty Gwin and Rebecca Bode, and six grandchildren.The Nesbit family asked that donations be made in Mr. Nesbit's memory at www.fastswimming.org.Staff writer Susan McFarland contributed to this report, which includes material from the Star-Telegram archives.Domingo Ramirez Jr., 817-390-7763Twitter: @mingoramirezjrHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
