W. Keith Ridgway

W. Keith Ridgway, 65, a resident of Bettendorf, Iowa and formerly of Indiana
died on Monday, January 23, 2006 at Trinity at Terrace Park Hospital in
Bettendorf after suffering a cardiac arrest at his home on Thursday evening.
Funeral services will be held at 7:00 P.M. Wednesday, January 25, 2005 at
the McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Chapel, Bettendorf. Visitation will be from
4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. Wednesday at the funeral home. Additional visitation
will be held from 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. Friday at the Flanner & Buchanan
Funeral Home, 10722 E. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN where funeral
services will be conducted at 7:00 P.M. Contributions in his memory may be
made to Rick’s House of Hope, Bettendorf.
He was born May 25, 1940 in Spencer, Indiana, the son of William & Pearl
(Gentry) Ridgway. He was the first person in his family to receive a college
degree earning his Associate’s degree in Engineering Technology and his
Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University in
Lafayette, Indiana. On March 21, 1980, he was united in marriage to Becky L.
Severs in Bellefontaine, Ohio.
Keith enjoyed physical challenges of all kinds. He was an avid basketball
player and Purdue fan, earned a Brown Belt in Tae Kwon Do, learned to water
ski the first time he tried it, enjoyed bowling, learned to snow ski when he
was 50, and loved all winter sports and activities.
He loved to travel with his wife. They shared many exotic adventures to
Europe and the Far East. Over the years, Keith and Becky were host parents
to nine foreign exchange students from all over the world.
Keith looked forward to spending time outdoors doing
yardwork, gardening and camping. His favorite season was spring when
everything came to life.
Keith had a long fascination with flying and earned his pilot's license in
1978. He was an avid reader of a variety of books, and especially loved the
Harry Potter series.
He was very good with his hands, and seemed to be able to fix anything that
was broken; and if it wasn't broken, he would find a way to make it work
more efficiently. He was skilled at making home repairs and remodeling, and
built his first house for his family in Indiana and had recently made plans
to build his retirement home in Brown County, Indiana. Woodworking was one
of his favorite hobbies.
He loved his job in information technology at Sears
Manufacturing and all the people who worked there. Rarely ill, Keith took
pride in a strong work ethic, helping others, troubleshooting, and enjoyed
going to work each day. Although he was counting the days until retirement
at the end of March, he often reconsidered working until the end of the
year. He had a generous spirit and always put others first. He would never
ask for anything in return for favors he gave freely and pushed others he
loved to believe in themselves. His children were often reminded that they
could accomplish anything if they put their minds to it, and he set a sound
example to all he knew with his tireless work ethic. In addition, Keith
enjoyed the mental challenges of math, physics and chemistry, and wanted to
include tutoring kids in these subjects during his retirement. More than
anything, Keith loved spending time laughing with his family. His playful
spirit and sense of humor made him a much loved Dad and Grampa. He never
tired of having a game of catch or helping with homework with his children
and grandchildren. He was never too busy to talk to them and enjoyed
sharing in their accomplishments.
Keith was a wonderful loving, unselfish, caring husband,
Dad, brother, Grandpa and friend. Others will continue to benefit from his
generous spirit as recipients of his organ donations. Our hearts will never
be the same for knowing and loving him as he touched a special place in all
of us. What a tremendous gift and blessing to have been part of his life.
Those left to honor his memory include his wife, Becky; his daughters,
Andrea Ridgway of Iowa City, Iowa and Wendy Price of Shelbyville, Indiana;
his sons, Scott Ridgway of Fishers, Indiana and Kevin Ridgway of
Indianapolis, Indiana; his grandchildren, Justin Price, Madison Ridgway,
Clayton Ridgway, Megan Ridgway, Kierstin Price & Brandon Ridgway; his
sister, Judith Mathis in Florida; and his brother, Stephen Ridgway of
Bloomfield, Indiana.
His parents preceded him in death. Condolences may be expressed to the family by visiting Keith’s obituary at www.McGinnis-Chambers.com.