Richard "Rick" Caputo
Victoria – Rick Caputo passed away on January 30, 2026, at the age of 86. He was preceded in death by his parents, Prospero and Jennie Caputo, his cherished wife, Kathy, his great granddaughter, Faith Morrow, and his step son-in-law, Rick Smith.
Family and friends will gather for a visitation on Friday, February 20, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, at Grace Funeral Home. Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, February 21, 2026, at 11:00 AM, at Grace Funeral Home, located at 2401 Houston Hwy, Victoria, Texas. Interment will follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery.
He is survived by his son, Richie Caputo (Ann) of Spring Lake Heights, NJ, and his grandchildren, Richard D. Caputo and Caroline Caputo. He is also survived by his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Linda and Paul Sides of San Antonio, his niece, Teri Sides of New Braunfels, and his great niece, Jennifer Sullivan of New Braunfels. Additionally, he is survived by his stepdaughter, Kim Smith of E. Farmersburg, Indiana, and his stepson, Joe Covey Morrow, III (Tammy) of Yoakum, along with grandchildren Whitney Lewis of Houston, Joe Covey Morrow, IV (Melissa) of Yoakum, Casey Morrow (Sandy) of Yoakum, and Jacy Garrett (Mike) of E. Farmersburg, Indiana. He is also survived by great grandsons Nathan and Andrew Morrow, as well as Julie Morrow of Yoakum, Tami Ward and Monica Morcotte of Houston.
Rick was born in New York City on December 12, 1939, and was adopted by his parents, who operated a catering business and a produce company in New York City. He served as an altar boy and attended Oratory Prep School in Summit, NJ, where he excelled in both football and basketball. Throughout the years, he continued to support the school and maintained contact with his classmates by receiving the school newsletter. He later graduated from the University of Denver, completing the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management in 1963. This was followed by six honorable years in the Marine Reserves, where he received an honorable discharge.
Subsequently, he dedicated 18 years to restaurant operations management for various well-known restaurants on the East Coast and in the Midwest before relocating to Victoria. After a year of managing the C.T. Night Club, he founded the Brown Bag Saloon in Victoria in 1977, followed by additional locations in Rockport and Corpus. His establishments were renowned for their neighborhood-friendly atmosphere, serving his mother's recipes, and a bar with pool tables, games, and televised sports.
In 1987, he wed Kathy Weaver Morrow, and together they managed their businesses. They relished traveling to casinos located in New York, Las Vegas, and Louisiana. When he was not at the Brown Bag, one could find him and Kathy at home, enjoying sports on television with his standard poodle resting in his lap and the cat nestled in Kathy's! Rick had a passion for collecting Marilyn Monroe memorabilia and incorporated the slogan "The Brown Bag – where Marilyn goes!" into his advertising efforts. To see him smile, all one needed to do was present him with a lottery ticket to scratch! Spending quality time with his family held great significance for him, whether it involved babysitting grandchildren, attending his grandsons' little league or school baseball games, following his granddaughter’s volleyball games, or gathering for holidays and weekend activities.
The family wishes to extend their heartfelt gratitude to Morada Memory Care (Jessica and Staff) in Victoria and Redbridge Manor Group Home (Elizabeth, Chris, Karen) in San Antonio.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Dorothy O’Connor Pet Adoption Center, 135 Progress Dr., Victoria, Texas 77905, www.docpac.net, or VFW Post 4146, 2001 Lova Dr., Victoria, Texas 77901.
Thoughts and memories may be shared online at www.gracefuneralhome.net.
Arrangements and services are under the personal care of Grace Funeral Homes and Cemeteries.