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Rick Dove — an unwavering advocate for clean water, a passionate environmentalist, formidable attorney, retired Marine, former commercial fisherman, and one of the nation’s first Riverkeepers — has died.

“On behalf of the entire Sound Rivers board and staff, we extend our deepest condolences to Rick’s family,” said Sound Rivers Executive Director Heather Deck.

Rick held a special place in Sound Rivers’ history: he was the first Neuse Riverkeeper, and one who made a lasting impression.

“As the first Riverkeeper in North Carolina on the Neuse River, Rick’s fierce advocacy to protect the health of the river never wavered,” Heather said. “The Neuse River Foundation grew under his tireless leadership as he greatly expanded volunteer programs and led a surge of activism that resulted in many clean-water wins.”

Rick served as the Neuse Riverkeeper from 1993 to 2000, then moved on to fight for clean water on a national scale, as the southeastern representative for the Waterkeeper Alliance from 2000 to 2005.

When the Neuse River Foundation merged with the Pamlico-Tar River Foundation to become Sound Rivers in 2015, Rick was serving as a Senior Advisor to Waterkeeper Alliance.

“The environmental community has lost a clean-water champion,” Heather said. “Rick was responsible for the growth of Waterkeeper programs in North Carolina, and he served as a mentor to many in the state and across the globe.”

It was Rick who persuaded the board of the Pamlico-Tar River Foundation to hire its first Riverkeeper, which is how Heather became the Tar-Pamlico’s first Riverkeeper in 2003.

With such a pivotal role in Sound Rivers’ history, Rick had a starring role in the 40th-anniversary documentary, “A Sound River,” — watch the documentary here — and told his story about how he became the Neuse’s first Riverkeeper in this article.

“We will always remember Rick for his commitment to clean water and to the river he loved,” Heather said. “We will continue to honor his legacy by working hard, every day, for a healthy Neuse River.”

A funeral service will be held 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, at Cotten Funeral Home, 2201 Neuse Blvd., New Bern. Family visitation starts at 1 p.m.