Legendary Fort Worth barbecue man who helped transform the family business dies
Editor’s note: The address of Punching Out Parkinson’s initially was incorrect. It has been corrected.
Jim Riscky knew barbecue.
He should, since he spent decades working for the family business, starting as the “bottle boy” who moved soft drink bottles to the back of the store so they could be recycled, and ultimately helping convert the original grocery store and market into the Riscky’s Barbeque restaurant chain that exists today.
The 77-year-old self-described workaholic died Feb. 9.
“He was a fair and honest man, a hard worker, and a friend and supporter,” according to a Facebook post by Flames Barbecue that referred to him as “one of the originals.” “Prayers going up for his wife Norma and the whole Riscky Family as they continue to carry on the family tradition of great Texas Barbecue.”
Mr. Riscky, born to June and Pete Riscky in 1942, began working in the family business in 1954.
After serving as the bottle boy, he took on nearly every job in the store, ultimately following in family tradition to become a butcher, according to an obituary written by his family.
By the 1970s, he built a wood-fired steel pit that would eventually be used as a model for all future pits that would smoke barbecue sold at the restaurant.
After getting married in 1982, he and his wife, Norma, began working to transform the grocery store into the restaurant that exists today.
Through the years, the family business grew, and new locations opened, ultimately employing more than 400 workers. The 92-year-old business is one of the oldest in Fort Worth.
But Mr. Risky wasn’t just about barbecue.
“Although Jim was usually thinking of business, he loved to fish and be on the water,” the family’s obituary stated. “He could often be found trying to outsmart the fish in the waters off Port Aransas or below his beloved home on Eagle Mountain Lake.”
An active member of Legacy Baptist Church, Mr. Riscky in 2018 became a member of Punching Out Parkinson’s, a non-profit support group.
“We will forever miss the unique sense of humor and the big heart that Jim Riscky graced us with,” according to a post on Punching Out Parkinson’s Facebook page. “Rest in Peace Mr. Riscky.
“You will be forever missed.”
In lieu of flowers, his family asked that donations be made to Punching Out Parkinson’s at 7616 Camp Bowie West, Fort Worth, Texas 76116, 817-731-4665.
Visitation is from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14, at the Mount Olivet Chapel, 2301 North Sylviania Ave. in Fort Worth. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, at Legacy Baptist Church, 5500 Boat Club Road in Fort Worth.
This story was originally published February 13, 2020 at 4:43 PM.
