Obituary of Richard B. Antalek

Vestal - Richard B. (Rick) Antalek of Vestal, NY passed away unexpectedly on May 27, 2018 at the young age of 52. He was predeceased by his father, Ferdinand Antalek and first born brother, Ronald Antalek. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife Lisa (Bieber) Antalek, loving mother Elizabeth (Betty) Antalek of Vestal, daughter and son-in-Law Ashley and Brandon Balles, of Vestal, two granddaughters, who were his biggest joy, Brielle and Madelyn Balles, step-children Joshua Allen and Lacey Chandanais, his seven siblings, Fredric (Tess) Antalek of Vestal, Karen (Michael) Butler of Vestal; Stephen (Kenny Holland) Antalek of Raleigh, NC, Kenneth Antalek, of Vestal, Wendy (Geoffrey) Walsh of Tampa, FL; Donald Antalek of Binghamton, and Lisa Seery of Vestal, in addition to several nephews and nieces. Rick graduated from Vestal High School in 1983. In 1990 he started D&R Cable with his brother, Don. He spent the past numerous years as a lineman for National Cable Craft Corp in Vestal. Rick's life was lived in daily kindness to everyone he encountered. He radiated thoughtfulness, love, humor, and gentleness. He enjoyed hunting and spent countless years at the Tri-Cities Bowmen Club; hunting and target shooting in tournaments. This is where he taught his daughter how to bow-hunt. Rick was such a good teacher that Ashley ended up out-shooting him a few times. He especially loved to spend endless hours in his garage having ping-pong tournaments with his brother and best friend, Donnie, along with many of their friends. Most recently one of his biggest enjoyment was spending time with his two granddaughters. Rick's had a real passion for life and he gave back by always being there to help others. It didn't matter if you were family, or a friend; if you called him Rick, Rickie, Rastus, Dad or Pop - we all could count on him. It was no secret that he would drop everything he was doing to come help mow a lawn, fix your car, or anything else that needed attention. You just knew that when he showed up he would always have a smile on his face. If that didn't make you smile then his full of life laugh surely would. Those were the simple things he treasured most in life. He was a generous, selfless man and the true definition of "one in a million." He will be forever loved and missed. His kind spirit will continue to live on through all who knew him. A Funeral Service will be held on Thursday, May 31, 2018 at 12 Noon at the Coleman & Daniels Funeral Home, LLC, 765 Main St., Vestal, NY. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Wednesday, May 30, 2018 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. In Lieu of flowers donations may be made in Rick's name to The Ronald McDonald House, a charity Rick held close to his heart for many years. Central New York RMHC, Inc. 1100 East Genesee St. Syracuse, NY 13210.