Ricos celebrate 50th wedding anniversary

On January 25, 1958, in Santa Monica, CA, Joe and Judy Rico started their life together.

At that time, Joe worked for Douglas Aircraft Co. in Santa Monica. A year later, due to company layoffs, Joe started working for his father-in-law, Al Lumby, at Nickerson Nursery in West Los Angeles.

In 1962, Nickersons opened a growing yard in a little town called Fallbrook in North San Diego County. Joe was recruited to come south to be the foreman of the field crew. Thus began a wonderful forever in Fallbrook, never dreaming that years later he would buy the business he worked for his entire adult life.

Joe and Judy were blessed with four children – Jody Gillson, Mona Tull, Tony Rico and March Scrape – who all were raised here and went through the Fallbrook school system. The Rico family now includes 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, with three more great ones due this year.

Joe and Judy now operate Santa Margarita Growers, a small country nursery, on their home property. Over the years all their kids worked in the nursery at some time. Currently, Mona helps them run the business and March works part-time filling in when needed.

Joe and Judy will be celebrating their 50th anniversary on a cruise through the Panama Canal.