Renrique David Bertley

On Sunday, February 2, 2025, in Bethesda, Maryland, Renrique “Ricky” David Bertley of Kensington, MD passed away peacefully in the presence of his loved one. Born on January 20, 1957, in Trinidad to the late Gene and Yvonne Bertley, Ricky was one of nine siblings of which four preceded him in death.

Ricky left Trinidad at the age of six and grew up in London, England. He graduated from St. Ignatius College.  Ricky left London and moved to the United States at the age of 26.  He moved to Queens, New York and resided with his grandparents; he then relocated to upstate New York with his family.

Ricky then decided to enlist with the United States Marine Corp where he had an opportunity to travel.  Ricky loved to travel and was at his best when he did. He traveled to Japan, Egypt, the Philippines and ended his military career in California.

Ricky then moved to Maryland to assist his brother with his welding company.  During that time, he met the love of his life at a 7-Eleven store in the summer of 1990. Shortly, thereafter, a marriage was formed. Ricky was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend.

Ricky accepted Christ at an early age and later became a member of Village Community Church.

Ricky’s interests were diverse; he enjoyed driving cross country and visiting family along the way. Also, he loved camping, beaches, community cookouts at Sandy Beach, shopping and collecting mementoes, even if it was just a rock or a piece of wood that was big enough for everyone’s names to commemorate the experience. He was also a diehard Arsenal supporter.

Ricky was known as the glue of the family and his favorite sayings were “Keep Smiling” and “Cheers Mate.” He was a great guy with an infectious smile.  He will be sadly missed by many. We all have “Ricky” stories that we hold close to our hearts.

Ricky leaves behind to cherish his memories, his wife, Valerie and his four children, Raulston (Ashley), Nikkia (Charles), Ashley and Christian (Sandy); one brother, Reynold (Jan); three sisters, Roslynn (Juan), Rosemarie and Roberta (Romel); a sister and brother in-law, Francine and Leonard Brooks; nephew, Jahiem; five grandchildren, Katja, Justin, Lucaya, Alyssa and Anastasia; a devoted brother, Curtis; a devoted cousin, Donna and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, relatives and close friends.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Renrique David Bertley, please visit our floral store.