Obituary for Dr. Edward L. Ridley, Sr.
Dr. Edward L. Ridley Sr. passed away peacefully on April 21, 2022. Born on Thursday, January 5, 1928, in Lawrenceville, VA, Dr. Ridley was the second-born son of Ella Callis Ridley and Robert Ridley Sr., both who preceded him in death.
From an early age, Dr. Ridley had a sense of responsibility and duty to others. At the age of six, he would go to work with his father, helping sweep the floors and stairs of the town bank to help support his family. This sense of duty informed his decision to postpone attending college to join the United States Army in 1946.
Dr. Ridley chose to study locally at Saint Paul’s College in Lawrenceville, VA, using the GI bill. When his father passed away in 1947, Dr. Ridley continued working for the same bank that he cleaned as a child with his father to help support his eight younger siblings. The local bank manager recognized him as a bright and trustworthy individual. It was unusual in the “Jim Crow South” for an African American man to be trusted with managing money for a bank with white customers. Nevertheless, the bank manager offered him a full-time position. Dr. Ridley respectfully declined the offer, knowing he wanted to pursue a career in science and research. However, in recognition of his work ethic, the local bank manager paid him the exact amount needed to pay off his mother’s mortgage and secure his family.
During his time at Saint Paul’s College, he founded the Student Government serving as its first President and was a Charter Member of the first Greek organization on Campus, Epsilon Gamma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Graduating in 1952, Dr. Ridley remained an active alumnus of the college, until its closure in 2013.
On January 4, 1953, Dr. Ridley married Florence Irene Taylor, whom he met at Saint Paul’s College. “Florence and Ed” to friends and family, loved socializing. In 1961, they built their lifelong home in Lanham, MD, which became the center for family gatherings and social events. They were married nearly 69 years, until Florence’s death in December 2021. Their union resulted in three children and four grandchildren.
Dr. Ridley was a proud employee of the U.S. government for over 35 years, representing the U.S. around the globe as an expert oceanographer in conferences and top-level research meetings. He received numerous awards and commendations, including a Special Achievement Award for contributions to the advancement of Equal Employment Opportunity with National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). At the time of his retirement in 1985, Dr. Ridley was the Director of the National Oceanographic Data Center for NOAA and member of the Senior Executive Service. Also, in 1985, in recognition of his exemplary career, Saint Paul’s conferred upon him an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters.
During his retirement, Dr. Ridley valiantly championed the continued legacy of his alma mater, Saint Paul’s College, creating and becoming the inaugural President of an alumni chapter in Prince George’s County, MD. Being a lifelong learner, Dr. Ridley also created a youth tutoring program at Calvary Episcopal Church in Washington, DC., and taught oceanography at Bowie State College. An avid gardener, Dr. Ridley designed and maintained a beautifully landscaped backyard, complete with a vegetable garden and flower beds containing lilies extracted from his mother’s flower garden in Lawrenceville, VA.
As impressive as Dr. Ridley’s intellect and career were, he did not consider himself special or seek recognition for his accomplishments. He had no patience for pretentiousness or ego in himself or others, and valued integrity, humility, hard work, quick wit, and tenacity. He lived a life of service, quietly supporting and guiding others however he could. No matter what title he held: Ed, Dad, Papa, Uncle Ed, or as his wife would call him, “My Honey,” his role in your life was one of quiet strength and dependability.
If Dr. Ridley was here, he would wonder why this obituary made such a fuss over him. He would have cut down on the more “flowery” language. So, we who love him will close with this fitting passage from the late U.S. Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy’s eulogy of his brother Robert F. Kennedy:
“[He] need not be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war, and tried to stop it.”
Thank you, Dr. Ridley, Ed, Dad, Pops, Papa, Uncle Ed, for being such a good and decent man. We will continue your legacy.
Left to cherish his memory are his children, Dr. Deborah Ridley Brome, Diane Ridley Roberts, and Edward (Sabrina) L. Ridley Jr., grandchildren, Leah (Kara) Irene Brome, Taylor Imani Ridley, Edward L. Ridley III, and Kennedy Nicole Ridley, siblings, Nancy Bishop, Francis (Shirley) Ridley, his brother-in-law Ellsworth Darrell, godchildren, Kim Davis and Carl Phillips Jr., and a host of special nieces, nephews, and friends.
Please use the link below to access the zoom streaming that will start at 9:55am:
https://bit.ly/3ilIOSz
please click here at the time of service
From an early age, Dr. Ridley had a sense of responsibility and duty to others. At the age of six, he would go to work with his father, helping sweep the floors and stairs of the town bank to help support his family. This sense of duty informed his decision to postpone attending college to join the United States Army in 1946.
Dr. Ridley chose to study locally at Saint Paul’s College in Lawrenceville, VA, using the GI bill. When his father passed away in 1947, Dr. Ridley continued working for the same bank that he cleaned as a child with his father to help support his eight younger siblings. The local bank manager recognized him as a bright and trustworthy individual. It was unusual in the “Jim Crow South” for an African American man to be trusted with managing money for a bank with white customers. Nevertheless, the bank manager offered him a full-time position. Dr. Ridley respectfully declined the offer, knowing he wanted to pursue a career in science and research. However, in recognition of his work ethic, the local bank manager paid him the exact amount needed to pay off his mother’s mortgage and secure his family.
During his time at Saint Paul’s College, he founded the Student Government serving as its first President and was a Charter Member of the first Greek organization on Campus, Epsilon Gamma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Graduating in 1952, Dr. Ridley remained an active alumnus of the college, until its closure in 2013.
On January 4, 1953, Dr. Ridley married Florence Irene Taylor, whom he met at Saint Paul’s College. “Florence and Ed” to friends and family, loved socializing. In 1961, they built their lifelong home in Lanham, MD, which became the center for family gatherings and social events. They were married nearly 69 years, until Florence’s death in December 2021. Their union resulted in three children and four grandchildren.
Dr. Ridley was a proud employee of the U.S. government for over 35 years, representing the U.S. around the globe as an expert oceanographer in conferences and top-level research meetings. He received numerous awards and commendations, including a Special Achievement Award for contributions to the advancement of Equal Employment Opportunity with National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). At the time of his retirement in 1985, Dr. Ridley was the Director of the National Oceanographic Data Center for NOAA and member of the Senior Executive Service. Also, in 1985, in recognition of his exemplary career, Saint Paul’s conferred upon him an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters.
During his retirement, Dr. Ridley valiantly championed the continued legacy of his alma mater, Saint Paul’s College, creating and becoming the inaugural President of an alumni chapter in Prince George’s County, MD. Being a lifelong learner, Dr. Ridley also created a youth tutoring program at Calvary Episcopal Church in Washington, DC., and taught oceanography at Bowie State College. An avid gardener, Dr. Ridley designed and maintained a beautifully landscaped backyard, complete with a vegetable garden and flower beds containing lilies extracted from his mother’s flower garden in Lawrenceville, VA.
As impressive as Dr. Ridley’s intellect and career were, he did not consider himself special or seek recognition for his accomplishments. He had no patience for pretentiousness or ego in himself or others, and valued integrity, humility, hard work, quick wit, and tenacity. He lived a life of service, quietly supporting and guiding others however he could. No matter what title he held: Ed, Dad, Papa, Uncle Ed, or as his wife would call him, “My Honey,” his role in your life was one of quiet strength and dependability.
If Dr. Ridley was here, he would wonder why this obituary made such a fuss over him. He would have cut down on the more “flowery” language. So, we who love him will close with this fitting passage from the late U.S. Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy’s eulogy of his brother Robert F. Kennedy:
“[He] need not be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war, and tried to stop it.”
Thank you, Dr. Ridley, Ed, Dad, Pops, Papa, Uncle Ed, for being such a good and decent man. We will continue your legacy.
Left to cherish his memory are his children, Dr. Deborah Ridley Brome, Diane Ridley Roberts, and Edward (Sabrina) L. Ridley Jr., grandchildren, Leah (Kara) Irene Brome, Taylor Imani Ridley, Edward L. Ridley III, and Kennedy Nicole Ridley, siblings, Nancy Bishop, Francis (Shirley) Ridley, his brother-in-law Ellsworth Darrell, godchildren, Kim Davis and Carl Phillips Jr., and a host of special nieces, nephews, and friends.
Please use the link below to access the zoom streaming that will start at 9:55am:
https://bit.ly/3ilIOSz
please click here at the time of service