Rocky Pfeifer, 61, loving husband, father, and Papa, passed away unexpectedly at his home Monday, July 20th, 2020. Rocky, a Hays native, was born to Rudy and Irma (Befort) Pfeifer in November of 1958. He spent most of his childhood living in Hays and Russell where he enjoyed all the freedoms of small-town living. As Rocky entered high school, his family moved to Salina where he joined the South High football and track team. Prior to graduation, his family made a move to Osborne which is where he finished out his senior year. For a few years after graduation, Rocky stayed in Osborne to help with the family restaurant, but he eventually came back to Salina to build a life of his own. It was then that he started working in food service management but transitioned to retail management when he joined the Kmart team. In 1997 he married the love of his life, Andrea. Five years later they decided it was time to make a change, so they purchased a retail business of their own, which he happily ran for the past eighteen years.
Rocky was hard working and extremely personable. It did not matter how young or how old a person was, if he had just met you or if he had seen you one hundred times, he was always able to find a way to relate and connect. With that being the case, it was not a surprise that people always gathered around him or that a quick trip to anywhere would end up being a not so quick trip. Although he did not have much free time, what time he did have he loved spending it with family.
Rocky was preceded in death by both of his parents. He was survived by his wife Andrea Pfeifer, five children – Brock Pfeifer (wife Bere), Chris Pfeifer, Ashli Taylor (husband Zack), Jamie Pfeifer, Ridge Saldibar, and eight grandchildren – Karady, Katie, Bayli, Gabe, Parker, Haemish, Myles, and Esmeralda. He leaves behind three brothers – Butch Pfeifer (wife Kelly), Rick Pfeifer (wife Missi), Dan Pfeifer (wife Athena), and two sisters – Roxanne Becker (husband Mike), Rebecca Nichols. He also leaves behind several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews.
“There are darknesses in life and there are lights, and you are one of the lights, the light of all lights.” – Bram Stoker, Dracula